Loose Ends For All Things
by beenwithout
Summary: When Cassie Hayes ends up back in time, she is not a happy camper. But quickly, Camelot begins to grow on her; Merlin's a sweetheart, Morgana and Gwen are fun, and she might even be falling for Prince Arthur. Oh and theres TONS of adventure. Season 2 AU.
1. Chapter 1: 21st Century Rock Star

**A/N:** Hey so okay first I OWN NOTHING OF THE SHOW MERLIN! I own all characters in this chapter and that is IT. Kay cool now that we got that down. I know there is a similar story idea to this on here. I AM NOT STEALING. I've had this idea on my computer since before I even knew what this site was. I promise it'll be different so read on my lovelies!

OH AND: translations and song titles are at the bottom. :)

Cassie Hayes leaned hard against the wall behind the venue. She dug around in her pocket for her cell phone pulling it out and checking the time. It was two thirty in the morning. She sighed and sank down until she was sitting on the dirty blacktop of the parking lot behind the old warehouse that had been turned into a concert venue.

The all access pass that was clipped to her belt loop dug into her leg and she was nearly positive that her jeans would be ruined after sitting here but she didn't care. She was tired and sore from jumping around on stage for the last hour and her head hurt.

"Cass?" the voice of her drummer and long time best friend came floating around the edge of the building.

"Over here Ryan" she gave in and called out. The dark haired boy she'd known since she was a child came around the corner, a cigarette in his mouth and a set of drumsticks in his hand.

Cassie wrinkled her nose at the smell of the smoke but tried not to let it show how much him smoking bothered her. But of course Ryan noticed he immediately stubbed out the cigarette on the dirty brick wall before walking over and sitting down next to her. "_Gracias_" she thanked him in the language they both grew up speaking at home.

"_Denada_, I know you hate it" he smiled down at her. Even both sitting he was much taller than the tiny girl next to him. She leaned her head on his shoulder and he pushed her light brown bangs out of her face "What's wrong now?" he asked her softly.

"Nothings wrong, I'm just tired" Cassie lied. Ryan laughed, seeing right through his best friend "Don't lie, what's bothering you?" he persisted.

The girl sighed "Sometimes I just wish my life was different" she admitted, taking her head off his shoulder and staring up at him, her hazel eyes pleading with him to understand. "I mean don't get me wrong, I have so much and so many people have so little, but sometimes it feels like there's more I'm supposed to do with my life!" she continued getting up and beginning to pace. "I'm a rockstar and I have a fantastic band and an amazing life but more and more I keep wishing I was somewhere else" she said sitting back down.

Ryan stared at her, wondering if she was finished. From years of knowing her, he knew that Cassie got like this whenever the anniversary of her brother's death was near. She started going on and on about how she should do more with her life because he was unable to. "Cass, you're going overboard again, you know you're fine and Alex would be proud of you" he assured her.

The tiny girl sighed and her shoulders drooped "You're right, lets god find some fans to hang out with" she said and stood up again, holding out her hands to her old friend offering to help him up. Ryan took her hands and let her pull him to his feet. The two walked back around the edge of the warehouse and were almost immediately attacked by excited fans.

After signing as many autographs as they could and taking pictures with everyone who asked, Cassie and Ryan made their way to their tour bus.

"There you are!" Ben, the guitarist of their band, Lights In Bold, threw his arm around his singer as he sat next to her.

"I've been here all day, and now you decide to be nice to me?" she asked, teasing the blonde boy. Ben, was a big hit with the fans, with his pretty face and wavy blonde hair he was the perfect image of a gorgeous guitarist and he was talented too. Unfortunately all of that made him annoyingly full of himself even if it was in a joking way.

"Oh but I missed you little Cass" he said hugging her tightly to him so the smaller girl had to punch him hard in the ribs to make him let her go. "OW!" he shouted pushing her away from him and holding his side "You didn't have to hit me so hard!" he said pouting to show her he wasn't really offended, though Cassie was sure his ribs hurt, her dad had taught her how to fight when she was little and she had beaten boys twice her size in high school.

"Well if I hadn't you would have crushed me" she teased back, settling herself into the cushions on the sofa. She chose to sleep there instead of the bunk she was supposed to sleep in because she tended to flail a lot in her sleep when she had nightmares. Unfortunately the boys tended to stay up all night and not let her get any sleep.

As they continued to argue over something about sports she got up and made her way to her bunk, falling asleep in the jeans and tank top she had performed in.

In the morning Cassie woke up with a swollen wrist and a worse headache than the night before. She rubbed her wrist guessing she'd lashed out in the middle of the night and sprained it.

Climbing out of the bunk around the limp arm of Tom who was snoring loudly in the bunk above her, she made her way to the front of the bus where Harry, the driver was just getting seatbelted in.

"Morning Cass" he smiled at her in a way that reminded her of her father. She grinned back, still massaging her sore wrist "Morning Harry, you excited to be rid of us after tonight?" she teased kindly.

Harry laughed "Can't wait" he joked back and started the bus. Cassie got out a pop tart as he pulled out of the RV parking lot they had spent the night in. She slowly munched on her breakfast while trying to recall the nightmare that had gotten her injured.

There had been a castle, which was strange but then again her dreams were always strange. The castle had been dark and a pale, dark haired woman had been with her and she looked angry. They were looking for someone, calling out a name she couldn't remember. A dark haired boy had joined them in the search and they continued, getting more and more frantic until they heard loud bells tolling and someone screamed. Then things started to blur together and Cassie shook her head to keep from passing out.

She stood up and fell back over again due to a sharp turn Harry had taken. Cassie riffled through the piles of their stuff that had been sitting around the tour bus and pulled out a book she had been reading. It was a history of the legends of Europe, a gift from her father who was an ancient history professor at NYU. She settled down for the long drive back to New York, where they would play the last concert of their first ever headlining tour and then go home.

By the time the bus pulled up to the venue Cassie had read two legends from Germany and Italy and had just turned to the rather long chapter detailing the Celtic legend of King Arthur.

"We're here, oh nerdy one" Jon, her bassist, snatched the book out of her hands and tossed it towards her bunk. It missed miserably and fell to the floor in front of it.

"Nice" Cassie rolled her eyes and went to pick up the book. She closed it and put it in her bunk then went to change into something to perform in.

Once backstage the band ran over their set list quickly once before doing their customary group huddle. "Okay guys, we're going to wreck this place tonight" she told the four boys surrounding her "And remember your mothers are here, so don't do anything too stupid" she added, just to be on the safe side.

Breaking the huddle, the five of them rushed onstage to the screams of the kids on the floor. "Hey New York city, how you doing tonight?" Cassie shouted into the microphone. The crowd screamed again and Lights In Bold launched into their first song "Whoa oh oh whoa oh oh" she sang the intro standing at her mic stand and rocking out. "From the get go I knew this was hard to hold, like a crash the whole thing spun out of control" she pulled the mic out of the stand and moved to the left of the stage.

"Oh on a wire, we were dancin, two kids no consequences. Pull the trigger without thinkin, there's only one way down this road"

She moved back to center stage and sang the chorus jumping up and down like the rest of the crowd "It was like a time bomb set into motion we knew that we were destined to explode and if I had to pull you out of the wreckage, you know I'm never gonna let you go we're like a time bomb hey gonna lose it lets diffuse it, baby we're like a time bomb, but I need it wouldn't have it any other way"

The next verse started and the kids in the audience sang along by heart. "Oh there's no way out of this so let's stay in" she sang with them the biggest smile stretched across her face "Every storm that comes also comes to an end, oh resistance is useless, just two kids stupid and fearless. Like a bullet shooting a lesson there's only one way down this road" she held the mic out to the audience and let them sing through the entire chorus again.

Cassie loved the feeling of performing and when the kids knew the words it was ten times as incredible. The rest of the night she jumped up and down like the best of them and truly enjoyed herself on stage.

At the end of the set Cassie waved to the cheering crowd and skipped off the stage as her bandmates stayed to throw guitar picks and drum sticks and bask in the attention of the fans for a little longer.

Ryan was the first one to join her offstage. He hugged her hard and quick, "You okay?" he asked.

Cassie sighed and nodded, the rush she got from performing was wearing off enough for her to realize that it was probably past midnight and that two years ago that day, her twin brother had died.

"Why don't we skip out early and go home, we can go visit him tomorrow" Ryan said, knowing exactly what she was thinking. Cassie smiled up at him "I'd like that, thanks Ry" she said and hugged him again.

Ryan had been like a big brother to her all her life, he had been almost as close with Alex as she had and she knew today was a painful one for him as well "Are you okay?" she asked pulling back and looking him hard in the eyes. Cassie was tough and almost impossible to lie to.

Ryan smiled sadly "It's tough on all of us" he admitted "But we'll be okay" he lied moving to hug her again.

"Don't lie to me Ryan Reyes, I can see through it you know" she said, letting the smallest of smiles creep onto her face. Ryan smiled too "My bad" he said and leaned back so they were no longer hugging "Let's go pack up our stuff from the bus" he said letting the smaller girl lead the way out of the venue.

It was soon enough after the show that none of the fans had come to lurk by the bus to wait for the band members. Cassie and Ryan boarded the bus and began to dig their things out of the messy piles.

It took them a few hours and more than multiple hysterical moments where one of them had issues with finding or getting to something but eventually they had their suitcases packed.

They left the bus and pushed through the mass of excited fans, smiling for the occasional picture so as not to be rude but ignoring a good portion of the people who shouted requests at them.

"Cassandra!" Cassie heard her moms heavily accented voice over the sounds of the fans. "Mami!" she shouted pushing through the last few teenagers and throwing her arms around her mother. Rosa Hayes was a rather round woman who could cook better empanadas than anyone in the world and insisted on caring for everyone who came through her door like they were her own child. Rosa hugged Ryan as well just before he was attacked by his own parents and three little sisters.

Ryan's family had always been like a second one to Cassie, his mother didn't work so she could spend time at home raising her four children and Ryan's father owned the bakery Rosa worked at. Though at night Mr. Reyes would come home and play with his children and the Hayes twins. He taught them how to sword fight with plastic children's toys and they used to call him El Zoro. Ryan's little sisters practically worshiped Cassie and she spoiled them beyond belief. These people were her family and she would always love them more dearly than anyone else.

"Cassie" a deep voice said from behind her. Cassie turned and let her father hug her. They had always been close but after Alex's death the two had fought a lot. Everyone had blamed themselves when his car spun off the road and he hit a tree, and Cassie and her father blamed themselves the most.

"I missed you papi" she said softly, so she wasn't even sure if he could hear it over the noise of the fans who continued to attack the other three members of her band. But then he whispered back to her "I missed you too _mi amor_" he said and she hugged him tighter. Her father's Spanish was rudimentary at best, he was very American, Irish actually, and the only Spanish he knew he had picked up from his wife and her family. But he tried hard to speak it to his wife and children.

After the greetings were over the two families ushered their children in to their respective cars and drove off towards the small neighborhood just outside the city where they lived next door to each other. Cassie collapsed on her bed the second she got inside and only sat up to pull off the worn combat boots she constantly had on.

In the morning she woke up early shivering from not being under the covers. Knowing what day it was, she couldn't go back to sleep so instead she got up and changed into jeans and a shrug tee and trudged into the kitchen. No one else was up and that suited her just fine.

She stared out the bay window in the kitchen at the small yard that adjoined to Ryan's. Past the peeling white fence was someone else's tiny backyard and house and that's how their entire neighborhood looked. Growing up Cassie had found it hard to live there, she would often get lost with Ryan and Alex all three of them unable to tell which one was their house. Now she welcomed the normalcy of it, her life was crazy with touring and them starting work on a new record in a week or so.

The thought of the record made Cassie remember that she wanted to go visit her brother. She needed to talk to him, even if he couldn't answer her, it allowed her to think through things. She also always ran new songs by him, he had always loved her music and her voice and she knew he would be so proud of her with her music career.

She ran upstairs and grabbed the acoustic guitar that always sat by her bed, her small leather messenger bag, and her keys and ran back downstairs. She left a short note for her parents telling them where she was going and that she wanted to be alone for a while with Alex. Then she left, without waking anyone.

By the time she pulled up at the graveyard where her brother's remains were buried, the sun had just begun to peak over the horizon. She parked her car in the empty lot and walked with her guitar up the hill to the tree Alex's headstone sat under.

"Hey" she said to it smiling and wishing that he could answer her. "I just got back from tour" she said, falling easily into the one-sided conversation. "It was incredible, we headlined and the fans were super nice. I got Scrubs on DVD." She informed the headstone that couldn't answer her.

Cassie turned and watched the sun come up the way she and Alex had countless times when neither of them could sleep. When it cleared the horizon, she turned back to the headstone, "I've got a song for you" she said , putting her bag down next to her and hefting the guitar into her lap, she strummed a few chords messing with the pattern until she had it the way she wanted it when she began to sing; "Somewhere there's a sea that has no other side, somewhere there's an airplane lost beyond the sky, so fly us up above the clouds" her clear voice filled the silent air around her and even the birds stopped to listen Cassie continued to strum the guitar despite the soreness in her wrist from her restless night. "Live your life where you are now" Her singing continued her voice floating just over the music from her guitar, the way it always had. Her mother used to tell her she was born to be a singer.

"And in the darkness round the sun, there's light behind your eyes and when you've lost the will to run, you can feel it start to shine." As she continued to sing, her eyes closed, Cassie didn't notice the crack in the ground that had begun to spread from her brother's headstone towards her, growing larger quickly, by the time she was aware of the hole in the ground over her brother's grave she was falling through it. Cassie screamed and clutched her guitar for no other reason than that it was there.

It was pitch black as she fell for a short distance and then she hit the ground. Hard. The breath was pushed out of her as she felt her back connect with solid earth and opened her eyes. It wasn't pitch black wherever she was, just dark. The night was uninterrupted by city lights and she could see more stars than she'd ever been able to. Looking around at her surroundings Cassie found herself in the middle or a field staring up at what looked like a castle. There were no castles in New York. And as she began to panic and try to sit up, she blacked out.

Spanish translations:

_Gracias_: Thank you

_Denada_: You're welcome

_Mi amor_: My love

_Te amo:_ I love you

Songs: (in chronological order)

Time Bomb – All Time Low

Darkness Round The Sun – Alexz Johnson


	2. Chapter 2: Horses and Beardless Warlocks

**A/N:** HI! Okay so chapter 2! Cause I'm going away for a week to a terrible land with no internet. My grandparents place ick! ANYWAY so I thought I'd update before I have to scurry off to spend quality time with my family. Cassie meets everyone in this chapter so its very exciting :) I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE MERLIN CHARACTERS! Only Cassie is mine! THANK YOU TO THE LOVELY YOUNG LADY WHO REVIEWED YOU ARE MY FAVE!

ANYONE INTERESTED IN BETAING? Cause I could clearly use one… tee hee. WELL ENJOY!

**XXXX**

Cassie woke to the sound of thundering hooves. Wait hooves? She pulled her eyes open to see two men on horses riding towards her. She sat up quickly which was a bad idea because she immediately felt dizzy. She pulled the guitar, which she still had clutched in her hand and her bag which was about a foot away from where she lay, towards her and sat on the ground staring up at the men as they approached.

The men were sort of strange looking. They wore what looked like chainmail and armor and they looked very serious about it. They reached Cassie and dismounted, drawing their swords and moving towards her.

"Tell us who you are and why you've come here" the younger one of them said jabbing his sword towards her threateningly. Cassie was unsure whether to laugh or run screaming. This had to be some kind of practical joke, didn't it? She stared up at the two men, there was no hint of joking on their faces and she was pretty sure she wasn't home anymore. "Tell us!" repeated the knight, because he had to be a knight, with all that armor. He stepped forward and jabbed the sword towards her again letting it stop just at her throat.

Now Cassie was going into full panic mode, the sword at her neck was very real and if she didn't think of some kind of story fast, she wouldn't be alive long enough to figure out where she was. She opened her mouth but she couldn't make words come out and her panic increased. She was pretty sure she was about to pass out again when the other knight stepped in "Sir Kay, the poor girl is terrified and injured, there is no need to be so unkind" the older man pushed the sword away from her throat and Cassie visibly relaxed.

"Can you tell me what happened?" he asked kindly, crouching down so he was at the same level she was.

"_Actualmente no, porque no sabe que paso o porque estoy aquí, no sabe donde es aquí_!" she told him, her first language slipping out in her panic. The knight in front of her looked up at his companion "Did you understand any of that?" he asked.

The younger man shook his head, as confused by the strange girl's speech. The older man turned back to her "You can understand me?" he asked slowly and clearly. Cassie was about to answer that she spoke perfect English but then thought better of it. If she pretended she only spoke Spanish she would have more time to figure out where she was and how to get home before having to come up with a story for some guys in chainmail. So she simply nodded.

"Alright, you're hurt and we're going to bring you back to the castle so someone can tend to your injuries" the older knight said kindly, standing up and offering his hand to help her up. Cassie took it and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. She slung the leather strap of the messenger bag over her shoulder and held her guitar close to her as the knight led her towards his horse.

Cassie had never liked horses, at all. She had only been on one a few times before but she didn't enjoy the prospect of having to ride one all the way back to the castle. But she sucked it up and handed her guitar to the knight, giving him a look to inform him if he mistreated it she would personally kill him. She stuck her foot in the stirrup, pushed herself up and swung her leg over the horse to sit on it. She looked down and held a hand out to the knight for her guitar and found him staring at her with a mixture of surprise and curiosity. He handed her the guitar and got up behind her, reaching around her to hold the reins. Having a complete stranger that close to her was a little uncomfortable but the idea of falling off the horse kept her sitting still.

They reached the town just outside the castle walls which was already filled with life though it was still early. The people around them stopped and openly stared at Cassie as she rode by. She tried to imagine how strange she must look to them, her clothes were very twenty first century and the instrument in her hand was probably completely foreign to these people as well. She stared straight ahead and ignored their comments and stares. It was something she was used to from being a singer.

As the horses trotted through the castle gates Cassie felt herself relax just slightly. Normal people milled about in a large courtyard and a few other knights were standing around by a set of steps that led up to the palace. It was in front of those steps that the horses stopped. The knight behind her dismounted and held his hand out to help her do the same. Cassie instead handed him the guitar and swung down herself. She took the guitar back from him with an appreciative nod.

"Someone go fetch Gaius, this girl is injured" the knight who had been riding with her told a slim, dark haired boy who was carrying a bucket. The boy nodded and after looking curiously at Cassie for a second he ran off. The title of 'injured' finally made Cassie look at herself, the wrist that had been swollen that morning was now extremely puffed up and she had a long cut that was still bleeding slowly on her left arm. She was pretty sure her left knee had also dislocated and relocated from the fall and that it was beginning to swell too. She began to limp up the steps with the help of the knight who had rescued her as a white haired old man in a long blue robe came running up to her to help her up the stairs.

The two half carried her up to a room and laid her on the table "Can you handle her Gaius?" the knight asked the old man. The old man nodded and turned to pick up something from his counter. "She doesn't speak English but she can understand it fine" the knight added and turned to smile at Cassie before he left.

"Can you tell me where it hurts my dear?" the old man named Gaius asked her. Cassie mutely held up her wrist and pointed to it then pointed to the cut on her arm and then to her slowly swelling knee.

Gaius smiled kindly "This is something for the pain, don't drink too much now or you'll pass out" he warned. Cassie smiled gratefully at him and sipped the potion he handed to her. It tasted terrible. She coughed and made a face at the small vial. Gaius chuckled "I'm sorry my lady" he said taking her wrist and gently beginning to wrap it. She shook her head to show that it was alright but Gaius didn't seem to notice.

As he began to tend to the long cut on her arm Cassie finally spoke "Where am I?" she asked softly. Gaius turned to her in surprise "You speak English!" he exclaimed staring at her in surprise.

"Of course I speak English, I never said I didn't the knights just assumed" she said rolling her eyes "Now can you tell me where and, well _when_ I am?" she asked, becoming unsure as she continued to speak.

Gaius frowned "Well my dear, you're in Camelot, in the present" he informed her, a little concerned about her when question.

Cassie's eyes widened and she felt her jaw drop "Like, King Arthur Camelot?" she asked incredulously.

He frowned "Young Arthur is not King yet, he's still only Prince" he told the small girl in front of him. She was the strangest girl he had ever seen, she wore a pair of very tight trousers and boots designed for boys. Her shirt showed one whole shoulder and the sleeves were cut too short to be practical. She spoke in a strange accent and used terms that were just as strange.

"But I'm in that Camelot, with Sir Lancelot and Merlin the warlock?" Cassie continued to question, she wanted to be sure she was where she thought she was.

Gaius gasped "Warlock? My lady that's a serious accusation" he said in a soothing tone but his eyes were wide and full of terror.

"Accusation? I thought it was common knowledge" she tilted her head to the side, confused by the idea that Merlin wasn't a public warlock.

"Anyone who uses magic in King Uther's Camelot is put to death. Calling anyone a warlock, especially the Prince's servant is a terrible thing" Gaius explained patiently but he was still scared of this girl's knowledge.

Cassie herself was pretty freaked out, she hadn't ever gotten to the King Arthur chapter in her legends book but she was pretty sure this wasn't how it went. As she continued to ponder, the dark haired boy she had seen on the steps before walked into the room. She looked up at the slim boy and smiled.

Caught off guard for a second, he smiled back with a lost look in his eyes. Then Gaius claimed his attention "Merlin, I would like you to meet our guest" he said, gesturing at Cassie.

"Wait, you're Merlin?" she asked, surprised. The boy looked confused and nodded "You've heard of me?" he asked.

"You're supposed to be old and have a beard" she said in answer. Merlin turned to Gaius "What is she talking about?" he asked walking closer to the two of them.

Gaius sighed "Why don't you tell us your story" he said turning to Cassie "Maybe things would make more sense if we knew who you were" he prompted gently sitting down, ready to listen to a long story.

Cassie stared down at her lap "You probably won't believe me" she murmured. Gaius sighed "My dear I have seen many things in my lifetime, I'm sure your story is not the strangest" he assured her and began to find something to tend to her swollen knee. She sighed looked back up "You better sit too" she said to Merlin and he did.

Cassie launched into her story unsure of the reaction she would get from the two men in front of her. She told them how she went to her brother's grave that morning and while sitting playing a song there she fell through the ground and how she was found and her speaking Spanish to buy time.

When she was done Merlin was staring at her half in awe and half in disbelief. However Gaius was looking at her like he was trying to think of a question. After a second or two of silence she had to say something, Cassie had never been much one for silence "I know its hard to believe but its true" she said.

"No my dear I believe you" Gaius assured her, receiving an incredulous look from Merlin. "I have seen this kind of magic before, but I have quite a few questions" he said, smiling kindly at the girl while he wrapped her knee over the skin tight blue pants she had on.

"Yeah, go ahead, ask away" she said smiling, happy that he believed her.

"What I would like to know most is how you knew about Merlin" Gaius said sitting back down, finished with her knee.

Cassie bit her lip, a habit she had been meaning to break. She didn't want to give away what Merlin was going to do in life but she wanted to be honest "Merlin will do things later in his life that will make him very, very famous" she said a smile creeping onto her face as she said it.

"Really?" Merlin asked, his face lighting up. Gaius gave him a look, "The Lady doesn't know that much, does she?" he said giving Cassie a stern look.

"Nope" she said popping the P, "Just know you're famous" she grinned "By the way, stop calling me 'Lady' its just Cassie" she said to Gaius.

Gaius frowned "But you do need a reason to be in Camelot and being a Lady works very well" he said looking at the tiny girl in front of him.

"If you're going to make her a Lady might as well make her a Princess" Merlin chimed in from his seat by the table, half kidding.

But Gaius turned to him nodding "You are right, My Lady, do you think you can come up with a story of a distant land where you are Princess?" he asked turning back to Cassie.

She frowned and began to shake her head slowly "I don't know, I mean I'm about the farthest thing from a princess there is, I grew up in Little Dominica for crying out loud, I'm pretty poor where I come from" she told them.

"But you must _try_ My Lady" Gaius insisted. Cassie bit her lip again but nodded. The three spent the next hour going over how to act like a Princess and what to tell Uther, who was apparently king instead of Arthur. They left the details up to her, reminding her to tell whatever lie was closest to the truth so she could keep up with it.

"Do you think you are ready my lady?" Merlin asked, smiling at her. He had grown to like the tiny girl who had fallen into Camelot in the hour they'd spent, teaching her how to be a Lady.

"As I'll ever be" Cassie sighed and hopped off the table, being careful not to land too hard on her injured leg.

"I just have a question" Gaius said his brow furrowing.

"Shoot" she said, then seeing his further confusion "Go ahead and ask" she clarified.

"What is little Dominica?" Gaius asked looking truly interested.

She laughed "It's a section of New York city where a lot of immigrants from the Dominican Republic live" she explained. The two still looked very confused and Cassie groaned "I can't do this!" she complained.

"You'll be fine, there's just one thing we need to get you" Merlin continued. Cassie raised her eyebrows and looked between him and Gaius.

"We need to find you some proper clothes" he said looking over her shrug tee, skinny jeans and combat boots.

Cassie groaned "Please don't tell me' proper clothes' means what I think it does" she said hiding her face in her hands and peeking through her fingers.

Gaius smiled at the strange girls reaction "Of course My Lady, it means a dress"

"Oh you have got to be kidding me" Cassie said staring at the long, green gown Merlin had brought her to wear.

"Unfortunately he's not My Lady, we can get you your own wardrobe soon enough but you cannot go visit King Uther wearing that" Gaius said kindly.

Cassie fought a smile, he thought she was unhappy that it wasn't her own dress. "I don't mind that its someone else's , I mind that it's a dress!" she huffed.

"Well that's what all women wear in Camelot, and be thankful, Gwen had to go through a lot of trouble to steal this from Lady Morgana's old things" Merlin insisted.

Cassie sighed heavily "Fine, gimmie" she held out her hand for the dress. Merlin handed it to her and she stomped off to his room to change. She had to unwrap her knee in order to get her skinnies off and then attempt to rewrap it herself. The dress was beautiful and though a little long it fit her relatively well. She kept on her combat boots hoping they would remain hidden by the dress and then went back down the stairs to the room where Gaius and Merlin were waiting.

"What do you think?" she asked spinning in a circle, the dress spinning out around her. She stopped and looked at the two men in front of her.

"Very nice My Lady" Gaius smiled at her then looked at Merlin. The younger boy was looking at her with wide eyes, Gaius's grin grew wider as he elbowed him.

"Really nice" he said snapping out of his awe "You actually could pass for royalty like that" he added earning himself a cuff on the head from Gaius.

Cassie just laughed and pulled the hairtie out of her messy bun to let her waves cascade down her shoulders "Okay, take me to the King!" she said standing as straight as she could and facing the door, ready to go lie for all she was worth.

Gaius led her down to the Kings meeting chamber and a set of guards in heavy chainmail let her in.

"Gaius you have brought me the mysterious young woman?" a man at the end of the high ceilinged room stood up from the throne he was sitting on. There were several other people in the room including a beautiful dark haired woman seated in a chair next to the man who was obviously the King's throne.

Other men in chainmail stood around staring at the pretty girl with the old physician in front of them. Cassie bit her lip but quickly let it go, lip biting was not a princess habit. "This, my lord, is the Lady" Gaius said bowing slightly.

"Welcome my Lady" the King dipped his head in a sign of respect "My knights have informed me that you do not speak our language but you understand it" he said.

Cassie swallowed then spoke "I do speak your language my lord" she said bowing her head as well, after all she was supposed to be royalty too. "I was a bit confused this morning when your knights found me and I spoke only in my first language" she spoke the truth but Cassie could feel that she was going to have to start spinning lies.

The King smiled kindly "Excellent! Now my dear please tell us who you are and where you are from" he said, sitting back down and settling in for a long story.

Cassie sighed, she knew this was coming "I am Princess Cassandra of…" here Cassie panicked trying to make the name of a country pop into her head "Puerto Rico" she spoke the first name that came to her mind before she could think about it. Her quick thinking had drifted back to a conversation she and Ryan had at two am the week before. Cassie had said their American tours should include Puerto Rico because it was technically part of America.

The King's voice pulled her from her thoughts "I have never heard of this Puerto Rico, where is it?" he asked.

Cassie sighed, she figured she better stick as close to the truth from here on out "It's a small island nation across a massive sea" she informed him.

"That is perhaps why I haven't heard of it. May I ask what prompted you to make the long journey here?" the King said graciously but his eyes were hard.

"My country is small and peaceful we don't have a big army, a country to the north of us, called America decided that they wanted to take over. When they attacked we weren't ready and my father, the King sent me to find someplace to hide to keep me safe" she told him, the history of American imperialism rolling off her tongue easily.

"But how did you get so far on your own?" the King asked, genuine concern showing on his face. He believed her story.

"I was dressed as a man and I had two other knights with me but they were killed on the journey here. We were attacked many times and I don't quite remember how I got to the field where your knights found me" Cassie answered, the lies spilling out.

Uther rose again and came to place his hand on Cassie's arm "I am terribly sorry my lady, you are welcome to stay here as long as you like" he said a kindly smile on his face.

"Thank you my lord" Cassie smiled back and dipped her head in a quick bow.

As she straightened the door behind her banged open and a tall blonde boy walked in. He stopped short when he saw the King had an audience "My apologies father, I was unaware you had a guest" he said looking at Cassie briefly before turning his blue eyes back to his father.

"It is alright, I would like you to meet the Lady Cassandra, princess of Puerto Rico" King Uther introduced "My Lady, this is my son, Arthur, prince of Camelot" he stepped back and the two acknowledged each other their eyes meeting immediately.

Spanish translations:

_Actualmente no, porque no sabe que paso o porque estoy aquí, no sabe donde es aquí: _Actually no, because I don't know what happened or why I'm here, I don't even know where here is.


	3. Chapter 3: Puerto effing Rico

**A/N:** WHO IS AMAZING AND MANAGED TO STEAL THE NEIGHBORS INTERENET! ME! Okay sorry I've been at this for an hour and its difficult. This is the last boring talking chapter for a while, after this all introductions will be done so good news there :)

Is anyone interested in betaing? Lemme know please!

**XXXX**

Arthur turned to Cassie and bowed "My Lady" he said politely. Cassie bowed her head and sank a bit in some semblance of a curtsy.

"I trust your hunting trip went well?" King Uther asked his son, who finally tore his eyes away from the tiny girl in front of him and looked at his father "Yes, it went very well" the Prince said nodding at his father.

"Good, you will show the Lady Cassandra to her chambers" Uther said sitting back down in his throne.

"Of course" Arthur said, nodding and turning back to Cassie "After you my Lady" he said gesturing for her to walk out of the large room in front of him. Cassie did her little curtsey again and walked out of the room, trying to appear decorous.

Arthur stepped in front of her to lead her up a set of stairs and down a long candlelit hallway with doors lining either side. He stopped at a set of double doors and pushed them open. Inside was a beautiful suite with a large canopy bed and a dining table bigger than the one in her house. Atop the bed lay her guitar in perfect condition.

She smiled and went to it, sitting on the gold comforter and strumming a few chords on the well used instrument. Arthur cleared his throat a little uncomfortably "I hope everything is to your liking my Lady" he said, still standing by the door, his hands clasped behind his back. Cassie bit her lip and nodded mutely. He made an uncomfortable face and bowed his head once then exited silently.

As soon as the doors closed behind him closed Cassie groaned and fell back on the bed "Puerto Rico?" she asked herself, staring up at the gold canopy above her "I cannot believe that I said I was from Puerto Rico, Puerto effing Rico!" she ranted. "I'm Dominican for Christ's sake!" she finally sat up and put her guitar aside as a knock came on the door.

She got up and crossed the large room to open the door, "Hi" Merlin stood on the other side, his fist raised in mid-knock. Cassie raised her eyebrows at it and he glanced at it embarrassed before lowering it "Gaius sent me to make sure you're getting along alright" he said smiling his slightly goofy smile.

Cassie couldn't help smile back and moved out of the way to let him in. "They gave you a nice place!" he exclaimed walking in.

She rolled her eyes a little and closed the door behind him "It's nice" she admitted "And they brought my bag in!" she said letting a smile overtake her face as she noticed the leather bag she had left in Gaius's room that morning. She opened the bag and upended it on the table, out spilled her cell phone, her car keys, her wallet, a pair of aviators, some spare change and a stick of eyeliner. "I have eyeliner!" she exclaimed holding up the thin tube as if it was the holy grail.

Merlin gave her a look "Eye, what?" he asked looking at the little stick in her hand.

"It's what gets me through the day my friend" she informed the young wizard. He raised his eyebrows but said nothing. "And they brought up my guitar" Cassie smiled at the instrument on her bed.

"Your what?" Merlin asked turning to her genuine confusion in his face.

Cassie tilted her head slightly to the side and bit her lip in her classic 'thinking' look "You've never heard of a guitar?" she asked, a little incredulously.

"Nope, what is it?" he asked glancing at the instrument Cassie had left on the bed. The tiny girl, dressed as a princess rolled her eyes and crossed the room to pick up her guitar. She sat and put it in her lap and began to strum chords. Merlin's eyes widened and his smile grew.

Cassie grinned back at him then opened her mouth and began to sing "He woke up from dreaming and put on his shoes, started making his way past two in the morning he hasn't been sober for days" she sang, falling into the familiar rhythm of the song. "Leaning now into the breeze remembering Sunday he falls to his knees, they had breakfast together, but two eggs don't last like the feeling of what he needs" she continued, watching Merlin's jaw slowly drop.

Cassie worked in the music industry and she knew she was talented, she had to be otherwise she never would have gotten as far as she did. But working in the music industry, everyone was talented and it was rare that they heard it, so when she finished the song and Merlin applauded her like crazy, it brought a smile to her lips.

"You are incredible!" he raved, still smiling like an idiot "Uther has singers come to Camelot all the time but you're the best one I've ever heard!" he exclaimed.

Cassie felt herself beginning to blush "Really I'm not that good" she insisted.

But Merlin was having none of it "You really are, and that thing, what did you call it? A guitar? It's really good too" he said still grinning.

She laughed "Okay Merlin, whatever floats your boat" she teased.

He gave her a curious look that made her remember where she was and that phrases like 'whatever floats your boat' didn't make much sense to these people. "I have to go, I'm sure Arthur will have something for me to do" he said, rolling his eyes.

As soon as he reached the door there was a knock on it. Cassie raised her eyebrows at him and he opened it. The door blocked the person who had knocked but Merlin straightened up a bit "Hello Sire" he said nervously.

"So this is where you've run off to? I hope you're not harassing our guest" the voice of Prince Arthur came from behind the door.

Cassie bit her lip, she hoped she wasn't going to get Merlin in trouble, from the sounds of it Arthur was very demanding.

"No sire, I'll go polish your armor or something" Merlin said and with a quick glance back at Cassie left.

The Prince came around the door and Cassie sat up a little straighter. Arthur was tall, muscled and good looking, he looked the perfect fit for future King of Camelot, the one from legends that she had been told as a child. "My father has asked me to come show you around the castle and the town. He believes you should get to know Camelot" he said, his extreme politeness seemed to also be a perfect trait for a future King.

But Cassie knew that it couldn't be real, no one was really that boring. She smiled at him and rose to join him by the door. He frowned at her lack of speaking, but didn't say anything.

They walked out into the hallway together and he began to show her the palace. It was a mass of staircases and long hallways and Cassie knew she was going to get lost at some point.

Arthur showed her how to get up to Gaius's chambers if her wrist started bothering her, "How did you injure it?" he asked glancing down at the bandages on her exposed wrist.

"On the way here" she said quietly. The Prince intimidated her for some reason she couldn't explain.

He smiled "You speak" he laughed, "I was beginning to think you were a mute" he said and continued walking.

Cassie frowned, now that was just rude. She huffed and walked on after him. He continued walking around pointing out everything and Cassie continued to follow him, bored out of her mind. It was a gorgeous palace and all but she didn't need to be told where everything was, she wanted to enjoy it in peace and quiet.

They emerged into the large courtyard and Cassie breathed in the non-polluted air deeply. Living in New York, fresh air was uncommon at best and she enjoyed being someplace where smog hadn't even been invented yet.

The courtyard was full of people milling about, getting water from the well or just going about their daily lives. Guards, in the red uniforms and domed helmets that seemed to be the norm for soldiers in Camelot, stood by all entrances to the courtyard and castle.

"Shall we go see the lower town?" the prince asked, clearly bored. Two knights exited the castle, from the doors behind them, carrying shields, swords and maces, heading for training and Arthur's eyes followed them longingly. Cassie rolled her own eyes and started down the steps. Arthur followed after a few seconds when he'd finally snapped out of it.

As they walked through the small but busy town people would stop to bow to the two, making Cassie blush and Arthur smile. They continued through the town, Cassie trying to take in anything and everything about the legendary kingdom

Arthur said very little and what he did say was polite but arrogant. He seemed overly sure of himself like he had never experienced failure. It wasn't a bad thing specifically but Cassie didn't like it

They saw all there was to see in the lower town and returned to the castle. The two walked in silence to Arthurs chambers and she was about to say goodbye and thank him when a loud clanging noise echoed from behind the doors.

"Merlin" Arthur growled and threw open the doors, inside stood a soaked Merlin next to a large bathtub on its side. Water had spilled out all over the floor and covered half the suite.

"I'm sorry sire, I backed into it by accident" Merlin stuttered. Cassie bit back a laugh at the look on the prince's face.

"You idiot!" he yelled "All you had to do was pour water into the bath, how do you manage to mess even that up?"

Merlin made a face at Cassie "I'm sorry my lord, I'll clean it up right away" he said setting about righting the tub.

Arthur huffed and spun around, slamming the doors behind him. He caught sight of Cassie still standing there and the anger slowly left his face "I'm sorry Lady Casandra, let me escort you back to your chambers" he offered politely.

Cassie just glared at him "Are you always that rude?" she asked, rather rudely herself.

His expression changed to one of slightly miffed confusion "Pardon me?" he asked.

"I asked if you're always this rude?" Cassie repeated.

"I'm rude am I?" Arthur snapped standing up to his full height, which was about a foot about her.

"Yes you are, and arrogant, he's a human being, you can't just shout at him like that! You can't just go around acting like you're better than everyone else just because you're born to it" she retorted. The expression on the Prince's face made Cassie think he'd never been reprimanded in his life. She shook her head once and spun on her heel to go back to her room.

Once there she fell on her bed and glared at the canopy above it. Cassie had grown up very poor and in school the people who acted like they were better than everyone else, just because they had been born to rich parents really bothered her.

A knock came on the door and she got up to open it. At the door stood a beautiful, pale, dark haired young woman and another shorter girl. Both were smiling pleasantly. "Hello Lady Casandra, I hope we aren't disturbing you" the pale one said.

"No not at all" Cassie said and stepped aside to let the two women into her suite. The shorter one put the box she was carrying on the table and looked up at the other two.

"I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself, I am the Lady Morgana, the King's ward" the pale one said, she seemed to be doing all the talking "And this is my ladies maid Gwen" the smaller girl, Gwen, bobbed in a courtesy.

Cassie smiled, the girls seemed nice enough "Nice to meet you, please, call me Cassie" she said gesturing for the two to sit down.

Both did and then Morgana looked up again "Uther has sent me to have Gwen take measurements for you. He told me that this dress was all you had and if I'm not mistaken it used to be mine" she laughed, gesturing to the dress Cassie had on.

Cassie laughed too "It is. I had to dress like a boy to get here so I have no dresses" she lied. The lies had come easier and easier to her as the day went on.

"That's terrible!" Morgana exclaimed and Gwen got up and began to take measurements "You've been through so much, I hope we can try to ease our pain here" she said, her eyes shining with sincerity.

Cassie smiled "Thank you, and you already have. It's nice to be able to talk to other girls, I spent the day with the physician and then Arthur" she told the two, making a face at the name of the annoying prince she had spent a good portion of her day with.

Gwen even laughed at that "He can be very arrogant, can't he" she said in a soft voice.

Cassie laughed in agreement "Arrogant is an understatement" she added "He can be a complete douche bag". The two girls looked at her, puzzlement spelled out across their faces. Cassie realized her mistake "Oh, its slang, it means sort of an arrogant, rude, self centered person, a jerk…" she trailed off searching for further descriptions.

"Sort of like a prat right?" Morgana asked smiling.

Cassie laughed "Exactly like a prat" she agreed and sat at the table with the two other girls.

The three of them laughed for a moment collectively and then Morgana spoke "Uther has invited you to dine with us tonight as well. I think he wants to throw a banquet in your honor a few nights from now!" Morgana informed her, excitement filling her voice.

Cassie laughed again, under the impression that she was kidding, at least about the banquet part. But the excitement for a party in the other woman's eyes was completely genuine. Her laughter faded "Wait, I actually have to go to a banquet?" she groaned.

Morgana stared at her like she had just admitted to insanity. "But banquets are fun! Especially at Camelot" she assured her.

Cassie was still skeptical but shrugged "If you say so" she said.

"Gwen do you think you can make Cassie a gown that will really make an impression?"Morgana asked her maid, a mischievous look in her eyes.

Gwen grinned back "Of curse my lady, you'll love it" she said.

Cassie shrugged again, if she was going to have to sit through a banquet she might as well make heads turn. And Cassie was very good at making heads turn.

"What is that?" Morgana asked pointing towards the bed. Cassie turned around and saw she was indicating the guitar that lay across the bed.

She stood and crossed the room to pick it up. She walked back to her chair and sat with the guitar in her lap, her fingers automatically forming chords on the neck. "This is a guitar, it makes music" she said and strummed a G chord to demonstrate.

The other two girls gasped "Play something!" Morgana said staring at the instrument in wonder.

Cassie shrugged and obliged, playing the intro to one of her favorite songs off her bands last record. She opened her mouth and began to sing "Florida please be still tonight, don't disturb this love of mine look how he's so serene, you've got to help me out" she sang through the rest of the song and stared off into space when she finished.

Thoughts of her band filled her head, memories of the fun times they'd had on the past tours and the music they made together. She missed them a ton and the idea that she was stuck here finally hit her.

"It must be late, shall we join Uther to dine?" Morgana rose and offered her arm to the smaller girl who had been lost in thought

"Yeah, lets go" she said snapping out of it and standing. She took the Lady Morgana's arm and the two of them walked out of the room, Gwen close behind. Morgana turned them down the stairs and Gwen headed up them. The two young women continued towards the room Cassie had first met with the King in. The castles walls were lit by torchlight and it gave the place a warm glow despite the cold stone walls.

When they entered the King and Prince were already standing by the head of the table, discussing something. At the sound of the doors closing the two men looked up. Uther smiled as he came forward to greet them and Arthur hung back, scowling ever so slightly.

"Ladies, I trust you are hungry?" Uther asked smiling at the two young women.

"Very" Morgana said smiling at her guardian, the look he gave her in return was of pure adoration.

"Lady Cassandra, how have you enjoyed Camelot so far?" he asked turning his attention to the fake princess.

"I think it is a truly beautiful city" she answered honestly "And everyone here has been so kind and accommodating. Morgana has been very sweet and it's so kind of Merlin and Gwen to take on the extra work of helping me" she said, putting a good word in for her two new friends, "And Arthur was a wonderful guide" she lied, shooting a glance at the Prince whose brow furrowed at her words.

Uther beamed "Everyone in the castle is prepared to serve you my lady" he said leading the two over to the table. He sat in his seat at the head and indicated for Cassie to sit on his left and Arthur on his right. Morgana took the seat next to Cassie and Uther and Morgana began to talk about the comings and goings of the people around the castle.

Cassie sat in a comfortable silence listening to the two as servants came in to serve the extravagant meal. There was more food than she ate in a week on tour sitting on the plate in front of her and she stared at in dumbly for a few seconds before coming to her senses and picking up her fork to begin eating.

"Lady Cassandra, I have never heard of your country of Puerto Rico, please tell us about it, I am very interested to know how a kingdom across a massive sea is run" Uther said turning his attention back to his guest.

Cassie bit her lip, this was going to be difficult "Its an incredible place, it's an island so there are beaches everywhere, I grew up by the ocean in the summers" she started out, all truths so far, "The biggest city there is so amazing, they call it the city that never sleeps because everyone is always doing something and the people are always out enjoying themselves" she told them, effectively describing New York to people from the sixth century. The three leaned forward, all eager to hear more, even Arthur seemed interested, though he pretended he wasn't "At nights, from a distance you can see the lights and its one of the most beautiful sights in the world, and during the day its just as lively, there are always people out on the streets selling food and people playing music on almost every corner" she told them.

"Oh and Lady Cassandra herself is a musician" Morgana put in, shooting a smile towards Cassie.

"Are you?" asked Uther. Cassie, glared at Morgana and then turned back to the King, she nodded, praying he wouldn't make her demonstrate.

"She has this wonderful instrument she calls, what is it again a guitar?" Morgana looked to Cassie for confirmation, the pretend princess nodded and Morgana continued "And she plays it very well, she sings with it too Uther, she's incredibly talented" she informed the king.

Cassie shot her a glare, while Arthur hid a smile at her embarrassment. Uther smiled at her "Lady Cassandra, if you would do us the honor of performing for us at the banquet?" her asked, just as she was sure Morgana had intended him to.

"I'm really not as good as she says" Cassie argued weakly. "Oh but she is" Morgana argued, giving the other girl a look that told her to do it.

"Look if she says she's not that good, she's not that good" Arthur put in from across the table, his expression showing that he was enjoying this a bit too much.

Cassie glared at him "Fine, I'll perform, no problem" she said, her hazel eyes glaring into his blue ones.

"Wonderful!" Uther said smiling at the three young people at his table.

Now Cassie just had to figure out what she was going to do tomorrow night to prove she was every bit as good and better than Morgana said she was.

Songs (in chronological order)

Remembering Sunday –All Time Low

I Swear This Time I Mean It –Mayday Parade


	4. Chapter 4: Why Sixty?

**A/N:** Internet stealing is a pain in the neck, jeez. Okay well I was really excited when I read over this chapter, I have up to chapter ten already written but I go back and change things and I'm re-writing chapter seven and on right now so it does take time but its looking good. This is where the action starts!

Cassie knew she was dreaming, she had to be, because she was sitting in her basement at home on the ratty old brown couch they kept down there, next to her brother who had been dead for two years. The room was dark, the tv on but filled with static, filing the dark room with an eerie light.

"Alex?" she asked, wanting to make sure that it was really him.

"Hey Cass" he smiled at her, even two years younger than he should have been, he was still taller than her.

"I'm dreaming" she stated more than asked.

He laughed "Yes, you are" he said "And I'm here to give you a message" he continued.

Cassie raised her eyebrows "_Dime_" she instructed and sat back, arms folded, listening.

Alex sighed, the ghost of a smile touching his lips "_Siempre sin paciencia_" he shook his head. Cassie gave him a look and he sighed again before speaking "You have been taken back in time to Camelot" he started.

Cassie rolled her eyes "Thank you captain obvious" she said.

Alex glared at her and continued, not finding her sarcasm funny "You are there because you are to change history" he explained. Cassie's brow furrowed, change history? How? Her brother seemed to read her thoughts, which was quite possible because this was a dream "You will help the people you meet become the people of legend" he told her.

"That's specific" she muttered, slouching back into the sofa.

Alex continued ignoring her sarcastic comments "You will be there for sixty days, then you will return home, you MUST make your change in those sixty days" he said, the seriousness of the situation becoming evident with his tone.

Cassie frowned "Sixty days? Why? And what change am I supposed to make?" she asked, the questions spilling out as she thought of them.

Alex smiled "I can't give you all the answers, then it'd be no fun" he said, grinning the way he always did when he teased her.

As the edges of her dream began to blur Cassie reached out to hug her brother, knowing she was waking up. "I miss you" she told him quietly.

"_Y yo a ti_" he said hugging her back. The edges of the dream blurred further and as hard as she tried consciousness was elbowing its way through the only real time she had with her brother. "_Te amo_" he whispered before she jerked back into consciousness.

"Alex!" she shouted sitting straight as she woke up, trying to grasp onto the last strings of the dream.

"No, my names Merlin, are you alright Cassie?" the skinny boy asked from the table where he had breakfast sitting out for her.

Cassie could feel the tears welling in her eyes and wiped at them furiously to try to dispel them. Hiding her face in her hands she tried to re-gain control of herself after the dream about her brother.

"Cassie?" Merlin asked his voice coming nearer to her.

"I'm fine" she managed her voice betraying her tears.

"What's wrong?" Merlin asked, not believing her lies for a second.

She sighed and looked up, wiping the tears off her face "It was just a dream, I'll be fine" she assured him smiling.

"Nightmare?" he asked sympathetically. Merlin knew Morgana suffered from nightmares and how much it bothered her. He hoped Cassie didn't suffer from the same.

"No it was a normal dream, very strange though. See my brother was there" she said her brow furrowing as she remembered all Alex had told her.

"Cassie, I understand you miss your family, and Gaius and I will start trying to find a way to get you home so you can see Alex again" he smiled and patted her shoulder.

Cassie shook her head "No, I'll never see Alex again" she said staring at her lap "Alex is dead" she glanced up at him biting her lip to keep the tears from running.

Merlin's expression changed to shock then sympathy "Oh Cassie, I'm so sorry" he said sitting on the bed next to her and patting her kneei n an attempt to be comforting.

With Merlin it was just awkward. Cassie laughed "I'm fine really, it was a long time ago. The dream just surprised me, that's all" she said covering his hand with hers and squeezing gently.

He gave her a look and she laughed "Really I'm fine" she insisted pushing his shoulder lightly. At least she thought it was lightly, Merlin fell sideways off the bed and landed in a heap on the floor. "Sorry!" she exclaimed getting out of bed and helping him up "I didn't mean to hit you so hard!" she said pulling the scrawny boy to his feet.

"It's okay" he told her smiling a little "Breakfast is over there, Morgana or Gwen should be by soon enough with a dress for you for today, I have to go wake up Arthur" Merlin rolled his eyes and Cassie laughed.

"Go on then, I can feed myself. We wouldn't want t keep his royal doucheyness waiting" she teased.

Merlin gave her a strange look at her choice of words but left without comment. He had become used to the strange way his futuristic friend talked.

In the throne room Merlin stood twisting his hands nervously off to the side. Today the King of Scaldon was coming and bringing his son the prince. Gaius had warned him that the prince was very restless and eager to prove himself at any opportunity.

Scaldon was not a friend to Camelot, not yet. Their king had come at Uther's request to discuss a peace treaty. Despite that Merlin was worried. Having two hot-headed princes in one room wasn't a good idea, especially if Arthur was the calmer of the two.

The doors opened and in strode Cassie and Morgana. Gwen had done a wonderful job on Cassie's dress. The dark purple material hugged her body perfectly and the serving girl had clearly taken time to pull her hair into an elegant side twist.

As everyone in the court turned to stare at the two beautiful women, Cassie winked quickly at Merlin and smiled. He grinned back and gave her a discreet thumbs up.

The ladies curtseyed to Uther and Arthur and moved to sit in the large throne –like chairs that had been placed on Uther's left a few feet behind his. The two began to whisper to each other smiling and giggling quietly every so often.

The mood in the throne room was tense, Uther gripped the arms of the ornately carved chair he sat in but stared straight ahead refusing to show his nerves.

Arthur paced back and for the behind him his arms crossed and his expression hard. Merlin worried about the prince. Apparently the Prince of Scaldon was itching to prove himself greater than the crown prince of Camelot and was afraid that it would negatively affect the peace.

The doors swung open once again and everyone turned their faces to the people that walked through them.

The King came first, he was a stout, plump man who wore too much jewelry and heavy rich clothes. He was young for a king though, his hair not yet turned gray but his beady, hooded black eyes showed a mistrust that must have taken a long time to breed.

Behind him came his son, also dark haired but while his father was all fat, the prince looked strong and well built. Several knights of Scaldon followed them, their faces passive and their eyes alert.

Upon their entrance Arthur had stopped pacing and Uther had stood up. Now he walked down the three steps that led to the dais, his arms held open and a smile on his face. "King Olin! The court of Camelot welcomes you" he said reaching the shorter man and shaking his hand.

"King Uther, it is very generous of you to house my company and I here, we are very grateful" he smiled but Merlin didn't like the look in his eyes "I would like to introduce my son, Christian" Olin continued, indicating the boy behind him who bowed to Uther.

Camelot's king tilted his head in return and turned back to the dais, "This is my own son, Arthur." He said and Arthur came down the steps to join him.

The two royals from Scaldon bowed their heads to the blond boy in front of them. "So Uther, may we begin the peace talks?" Olin asked, his expression conveying his contempt for the idea. Uther either didn't notice or pretended to ignore it "Of course, let us go to more comfortable chambers" he said leading the way tack towards the door.

The rest of the court followed suit. Merlin fell into step with Arthur who looked half worried half annoyed "I don't trust that Prince" he said staring after the boy "He has a look about him"

Merlin shrugged, he agreed "We'll just have to keep an eye on him sire" he said.

"Yes you will" Arthur nodded "Now go fetch my armor and things, I have training" he instructed but his eyes followed Morgana and Cassie as the swept out of the throne room, Morgana laughing at something the princess had said.

Merlin smiled and pretended not to notice as he walked off to find Arthur's armor.

Out on the training field Merlin watched as Arthur put his men through a particularly brutal set of exercises. Arthur had just flipped one of his opponents onto his back and jammed his sword into the ground when Cassie's voice spoke from next to Merlin's shoulder "Damn, that had to hurt" she said making a face at the poor knight as he slowly sat up.

"Yeah he's in a bad mood today" Merlin answered.

Arthur caught sight of the two standing in the shade and his eyes narrowed "Merlin! Don't just stand there, bring me my mace" he commanded and Merlin scurried off to find the weapon the Prince had requested.

Cassie huffed out a breath and crossed her arms. She watched as Arthur fought another knight this time using maces. He was a good fighter but Cassie was pretty confident she could beat him. Ryan's dad, Antonio had been teaching them to fight using plastic swords since they were children and at fifteen she could already beat the much older man fairly. She had joined the fencing team in high school and won almost every time until she had been kicked off for fighting. Cassie's own father had taught her how to fist fight as well and she was exceptional at it and had often gotten in trouble in school for it.

She continued to observe the training ground, becoming grudgingly more impressed with the prince as she did. "He's quite the warrior" a voice said from next to her.

Cassie jumped and turned to see Christian, prince of Scladon standing next to her his hands clasped behind his back. "Jesus you scared me" she said breathing out deeply.

A slightly menacing smile crossed the princes face "My apologies my lady" he said taking her hand and bending to kiss it "You must know who I am but I do not know your name" he said straightening and staring straight at her.

Cassie held back a frown, something about Christian put her on edge "I am the Lady Cassndra, Princess of Puerto Rico" she informed him trying to sound as regal as possible.

His brow furrowed "I have never heard of your kingdom my lady" he said tilting his head to the side slightly.

"It is across a massive sea, a very long way from here" she said, hoping the vagueness of her answer would make him leave her alone.

"Ah, that would explain it then" he said turning his attention back to the training going on. It was then that Arthur caught sight of them and the look he gave was borderline livid.

Cassie had no idea why he had such a problem with her being there, or maybe it was the strange prince by her side that bothered him so much. Either way Cassie was tired of watching Arthur beat up on his knights "Well you have fun, go join them, throw some swords around. I have stuff to do" she said to Christian and started to walk off.

"It was a pleasure to meet you my lady" he called after her.

She looked over her shoulder "You too" she lied and once again turned to make her way back to the castle. That prince freaked her out a little too much for her liking.

Once she was back in her room Cassie began trying to figure out what she would play at the banquet Uther was insisting on holding for her. She strummed a few chords on the guitar, mentally going through all her band's songs and all the songs she planned on trying for the next record.

She had been alone for an hour when the door swung open without a knock. Merlin rushed into the room, out of breath.

Cassie looked at him concerned "What's up?" she asked.

The dark haired boy stopped and looked up at the ceiling confused. Cassie resisted the urge to drop her head into her palms. Everyone took everything so literally here. "It means what's going on" she clarified.

Merlin looked back at her "Christian has challenged Arthur to a duel, to the death" he panted.

Cassie's eyes widened "That doesn't sound good, what's it mean?" she asked, her nervousness growing. She didn't like Prince Arthur but she didn't want him to die.

"It means they are going to fight until one kills the other" Merlin explained as if it should have been obvious. He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms "I should have known this was going to happen. It's all his own fault too" he ranted.

Cassie raised her eyebrows "Am I to take it that this happens often?" she asked, her worry ebbing away with Merlin's annoyance.

He rolled his eyes again "All the time. He's the crown prince of Camelot, everyone wants to prove themselves better than him. It's just when he starts it that it's really a problem" he huffed.

Cassie shook her head "What'd he do now?" she asked.

"He _had_ to ask Christian if he wanted to train with them and then he _had_ to knock him over" Merlin grumbled.

She raised her eyebrows "Christian challenged him because Arthur knocked him over?" she asked. Merlin nodded. "Men" she spat "Well what are we supposed to do?" she asked.

Merlin frowned "See that's the problem, we can't do anything" he said.

Cassie frowned too "Well then I hope he wins" she shrugged.

"Well Uther's called some kind of meeting about it. Probably to make it official, we're all required to go" he said.

Cassie sighed, she didn't see why she had to bear witness to the stupidity of boys when they could just get on with it and get over it. But she dutifully got up and followed Merlin out of her room.

In Uther's meeting room she stood by Morgana. Merlin stood across the room with Gaius and some of the other servants.

Uther stood by the throne, his anger clear in his expression and Arthur stood just behind him calm as anything as if he was completely okay with the fact that someone had challenged him to a fight to the death.

When Olin and Christian walked in Uther stomped a few feet towards them but stopped himself, remembering where he was. "Olin! Are you aware of what your son has done!" he thundered.

Despite Uthers fury Olin smiled "My son is just trying to prove himself worthy of the throne of Scaldon, he is in as much danger as your own son. Arthur is quite the warrior" he said a sly smile on his face.

Uther simmered with barely controlled anger and Cassie severely hoped the other king would back down. She didn't want to see Uther lose control on him.

But Olin just stood there smiling, the two men having a stare off. Finally Uther huffed out a breath "They will fight tomorrow morning" he said loud enough for everyone to hear "To the death" he added and Cassie bit down hard on her lip.

Uther spun on his heel and returned to his throne "Dismissed" he growled sounding for all the world like a school teacher.

The entire court filed out. As she passed him Cassie noticed a glint of something by Christian's hand. She looked down to see that it was a thick silver ring with a large amethyst stone set in it.

Except the stone wasn't just amethyst, it swirled and sparked as if it was seconds away from catching fire. Cassie was positive the ring hadn't been there that morning. He had used that hand to take hers and kiss it and she would have noticed if it was there.

She glanced around to see if anyone else noticed it, most of the noble's faces were turned forward as they gossiped about the duel. She caught sight of Merlin across the throng staring at Christian's hand as well.

He glanced up and their eyes met. Cassie gave him a meaningful look and he nodded. They followed the rest of the court out of the room and then Cassie turned and led the way to someplace quiet where they could talk.

In the throne room Uther had asked his son to stay behind "Arthur, how could you allow this to happen?" he inquired the fury in his eyes barely contained in his voice.

Arthur sighed heavily, he had asked himself the same question all day "I don't know father. I offered to let him train with us out of politeness and in one of the exercises I beat him" he explained calmly.

"So then why is he trying to fight you to the death?" the King shouted. He stood up and began to pace back and forth in front of the throne.

Arthur stood with his arms folded staring at the floor "He said I was challenging his honor" he sighed.

"You were training!" Uther protested. He stopped pacing and sunk into his throne.

Arthur huffed out a breath "You know that's not the reason Father! He wants to prove himself and killing me is the best way for him to do that" he said clearly annoyed.

Uther sighed and stood up, he stepped forward and put a hand on his sons shoulder "You must win" he said looking hard at the only heir to his throne.

Arthur nodded "I know Father" he said.

"You saw it too?" Cassie asked Merlin as they stood concealed by a window in some far corner of the castle.

He nodded "It was magic, I'm sure of it" he said his eyes full of nervous excitement "We have to tell Uther" he continued.

Cassie shook her head "No, how are we supposed to prove it? He hasn't done anything yet" she said.

"But he's fighting Arthur tomorrow!" Merlin exclaimed "We have to do something!"

She rubbed her temples "_Piensa Cass, piensa_" she muttered to herself. After a minute she turned back to Merlin "I have a plan" she said grinning.

He frowned at the mischievous expression in her eyes "Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like this plan?" he asked.

Spanish Translations :

_Dime_: Tell me

_Siempre sin paciencia_: Always so impatient

_Y yo a ti_: And I, you

_Te amo_: I love you

_Piensa Cass, piensa_: Think Cass, think


	5. Chapter 5: Midnight Magic

**A/N:** Sorry this took so long! Internet is such an elusive thing! Another VERY exciting chapter! Reviews would be nice guys… just sayinnnn! Enjoy.

**XXX**

"I can't believe I let her talk me into this" Merlin muttered as he crept through the dark corridors while everyone slept.

He snuck towards the doors to the prince from Scaldon's room. He pressed his ear to the door listening hard trying to hear if anyone was awake. There were faint voices coming from the other side of the door but they were impossible to understand.

Merlin frowned and whispered a spell; the voices became louder to his ears and he could hear what they were saying.

"Are you sure the ring will work?" the voice of King Olin asked.

"I am sure father" Christian's voice answered. Merlin made a face, he needed to be able to see. He tip-toed around to the tiny window used to let in air, the metal grate over the tiny window blocked him from view but he could see the two men inside the room. Christian stood in front of a table, on the table was an ornate gold box lined with purple velvet and in the box lay the silver ring he and Cassie had seen on the princes finger earlier.

"Good, so it will help you defeat Arthur tomorrow? Because it didn't seem to work on the training grounds today" Olin snapped.

Christian scowled "It will work!" he all but shouted "It will work tomorrow and I will kill Arthur Pendragon"

Olin stood up "Then we can take advantage of Uther's grief and conquer Camelot!" he said grinning.

Merlin gasped and promptly backed away from the window, knocking over the vase on the table next to him in the process.

The vase crashed to the floor and shattered loudly. "What was that?" Christian's voice reverberated through the walls and Merlin ran, turning the corner just as the doors burst open and Christian tore after him.

Merlin sprinted towards Cassie's room and skidded to a stop in front of it the sound of Christian's footsteps growing louder. He wrenched open the door and flung himself inside, slamming it behind him.

"What the..?" Cassie asked sitting up in bed. Merlin pressed his finger to his lips to indicate that she should be silent and she fell quiet, getting up and motioning him over towards her wardrobe which still remained mostly empty seeing as Gwen was still working on her clothes.

She ushered him into it and closed the door just as a loud knock came on the door. Cassie rushed over and opened it, doing her best to look like she had been asleep a matter of seconds ago.

Prince Christian stood on the other side, he looked her over once, the annoyance in his face turning to a self satisfied smile. Cassie glanced down, realizing she was only wearing her nightgown, which was a lot more than she wore to the beach but in this time period she was showing off a lot.

"Is there something I can help you with my lord?" she snapped glaring at him. Christian's eyes returned to her face but that annoying little smile stayed and Cassie had to resist the urge to punch it off him.

"Yes, my lady, sorry to disturb you but there was a thief in my chambers and they ran this way, have you any idea where they might be?" he asked, his words polite but his tone more than a little rude. She didn't know if she disliked him or Arthur more.

"No I have no idea because I've been sleeping, which is what any sane person would be doing at this hour of the night. I hope you find your thief my lord but I will be returning to sleep" she snapped and closed the door in his face.

She smiled her own self satisfied smile and returned to her wardrobe. She opened it and ushered Merlin out. "Okay so what is this all about? Were you robbing Christian's chambers?" she asked once he had stepped out and stretched a bit.

"No I was spying through the little air window" he said pointing at the identical one in her room. She glanced at it then strode over to make sure no one was doing the same to them. The coast was clear and she turned back to Merlin "Did you find out about the ring?" she asked, leading him towards the table and sitting down with him.

"He's going to use it to kill Arthur tomorrow and then Olin plans to take over Camelot" Merlin told her.

Cassie bit her lip "That's not good" she said getting up and beginning to pace. After a few seconds she turned to him "So what are we going to do about it?"

"Gaius!" Merlin hissed in the old man's ear.

"Wha-what?" he asked groggily sitting up, his eyes fell on Cassie and he stood up quickly, "Lady Cassandra! Is one of your injuries bothering you?" he asked politely embarrassed.

Cassie gave him a smile "No Gaius, my injuries are fine, thanks to you" she said "We need help with something else" she glanced at Merlin and Gaius followed her eyes.

"Prince Christian has some kind of magic ring that he's going to use to kill Arthur tomorrow, we need to figure out what it is and how to stop it" Merlin told him moving towards the bookshelves and beginning to read along the spines.

Gaius ambled over to another shelf and pulled down a book "A ring hm?" he asked flipping through the pages "What did this ring look like?" he asked.

Cassie thought hard "Thick silver band with a diamond shaped amethyst looking stone in it" she said picking up another book and flipping through pages, then putting it back down, realizing that it was a book of herbs and their uses.

"What did the stone look like?" Gaius asked continuing to flip through the book. He closed it and pulled another down to flip through the pages of that one.

"It was swirling and sparking" Merlin put in tossing one book aside and pulling down another to look through it.

"Could it be a stone of Perciphedron?" Gaius asked looking up from his book. Cassie and Merlin looked up and moved over to Gaius to look over either shoulder at the book he held in his hand.

He glanced at the two young people on either side of him and smiled briefly. Then he turned back to the book "A stone of Perciphedron takes the strength of the wearers opponent and turns it against him" Gaius read from the book.

"Shit! So if he uses that against Arthur tomorrow he's definitely gonna kill him" Cassie said stepping back and looking up at the two.

Gaius nodded gravely "Unfortunately, yes"

"We have to do something to help him" Merlin exclaimed picking up the book Gaius had just set down. He flipped back to the page about the stone and read over the description. "It says it can be rendered useless by someone who has the same kind of stone" he read frowning.

"I'm just gonna go out on a limb here and guess we don't have one of those" Cassie said running a hand through her hair.

"No, we don't" Merlin said, she could almost see the gears turning in his head. "But we can put a spell that does the same thing on something else to give to Arthur" he said looking up at the other two.

"And do you know such a spell?" Gaius asked.

Merlin frowned "Well, no but we could find it!" he said turning to the bookshelf and starting to pull down random volumes that Cassie was almost positive she couldn't read.

Gaius sighed and began to light candles, settling in for an all night search to save the prince, _again_.

The three began to dig through spell books that to Cassie's partial annoyance she could read. They sat up for hours Cassie wishing more than anything that she was back in the twenty first century with a nice warm cup of coffee.

"Wait I think I found something!" Merlin sat up straighter and motioned Cassie and Gaius over "This spell here will take the strength of one's enemy and turn it against them" he said pointing to the strange words on the page.

"Perfect, so we just have to put the spell on Arthur" Cassie said smiling "Want me to knock him out so we can do it?" she asked, a little too enthusiastically.

Merlin frowned "No, it has to be on something like the ring, some kind of small object" he read from the book.

Cassie frowned "Well then how are we going to get it on him?" she asked sitting down on one of the benches in Gaius's room.

"We can't put it on anything that he already has because they're in his chamber" Merlin said pondering.

"What if we put it on a token?" Gaius suggested "We could have Lady Cassandra give it to him" he continued looking between Cassie and Merlin.

Merlin smiled "Yes! We could!" he said standing up and looking over at Cassie "Do you think you can do it?" he asked, his blue eyes shining with excitement.

"What exactly will I be required to do?" she asked a little wary of this plan. Anything that involved her having to deal with Arthur directly was not something she wanted to do.

"You just have to give Arthur a token for good luck, it will have the spell on it that will save him from being killed" Gaius explained.

Cassie gave him a look "Do I have to? Can't _you_ give it to him?" she asked looking at Merlin.

He shook his head "He'll actually wear it if it's from a lady, not me" he insisted.

Cassie rolled her eyes "_Fine_" she snapped "But he will owe me so bad for this even if he never knows it" she grumbled.

Gaius and Merlin laughed "Welcome to my life" the young warlock smiled.

They settled on the silver necklace Cassie wore around her neck. It was a hammered sterling silver circle that bore good luck markings of the Navajo Indians, a present from Ryan on their first tour on the Arizona stop. Merlin spent the remaining hours till morning mastering the spell and casting it on the necklace.

"I expect this back by the way" she said as Merlin spoke the magic words for about the millionth time and nothing happened.

"I'll steal it back from him soon" Merlin assured her before taking another shot at the spell. It didn't work again.

Finally just as the rest of the castle was starting to wake up, Merlin said the spell and the necklace glowed gold for a few brief seconds. "I did it!" he jumped up.

"About time" Cassie grumbled, she took back the necklace and clasped it around her neck.

She was about to slide off the table and head back to her room when the door burst open. Arthur stood there, clearly not ready for the day with an annoyed expression on his face. His expression changed looking around to one of slightly embarrassed curiosity "Gaius, Lady Cassandra, I'm sorry to disturb you. I was looking for Merlin" he finally spoke, directing the last words and a glare at his servant.

Cassie put on a kind smile "It's really alright, my wrist was bothering me so I came up to see if Gaius could help me. I started talking to Merlin, I'm sorry I distracted him, my fault" she said.

Arthur nodded once, he was still unsure what to think of the beautiful foreign princess. One minute she seemed to hate him and the next she was perfectly polite. Well he wasn't going to let it get to him, not on a day as important as today. "Merlin, do you realize what day it is? Or are you just planning on letting me get ready for a duel all by myself?" he snapped at his servant. Merlin was used to his grumpiness and never took it personally.

Lady Cassandra on the other hand clearly took it very personally "I already told you it was my fault, you shouldn't be so impolite to the poor boy" she snapped.

Arthur frowned, she seemed to have a soft spot for Merlin "He is my servant and I will speak to him how I please, come along Merlin" and with that he turned and walked out of the room.

"That arrogant little prat!" Cassie shouted once Arthur was gone. She hopped down from the bench and landed on her still slightly swollen knee wincing.

"My Lady, you must remain on good terms with the prince so you can give him the token" Gaius reminded her.

Cassie scowled, "I know, I know. He's just such a douche bag sometimes" she sighed.

Merlin and Gaius looked at each other, both wondering what on earth a 'douche bag' was and why it applied to Arthur.

"All ready Sire" Merlin said smiling as he handed Arthur his helmet, he had spent the last half hour preparing him for the duel "You'll be fine, I saw you and Prince Christian on the training ground yesterday and you're a much better swordsman" he assured the prince.

Arthur smiled "Thank you Merlin" he said and turned towards the door. His eyes widened slightly in surprise to see Lady Cassandra leaning in the doorway, the smallest of smiles on her face.

Merlin ducked his head and muttered something about being outside then scurried out past the princess.

"My Lady" Arthur acknowledged, bowing his head quickly.

"So you don't completely hate him" she said stepping forward into the room, ignoring propriety.

"No, not completely, he's clumsy and absent minded but he's a good servant" Arthur admitted, wondering why she was here.

Her smile got wider "I know we haven't exactly gotten along well and I'm sorry for that but I truly want to see you win today" she said stepping closer to him. She reached her hands behind her neck and unclasped the silver necklace she wore. "The symbols are good luck charms from some of the ancient tribes of my home, if you would wear it I'd feel more at ease" she said holding her hand out to him, the necklace coiled in her palm.

Arthur smiled, so she did care "I would be honored to wear it for you" he said and leaned his head down to allow her to clasp it round his neck.

Lady Cassandra stretched up and clasped the silver chain around his throat, her slim fingers brushing the back of his neck as she did so. Once she clasped it he straightened and she went back down from her tiptoes. She smiled at the necklace which now rested atop his armor, then she reached up and tucked the little silver disk beneath his chainmail. "Good luck" she smiled and with that turned and walked out of the room leaving Arthur standing there staring after her in complete confusion.

"You gave it to him?" Merlin hissed to Cassie as she stood next to him while the stands slowly filled up with the people of Camelot.

"Yeah, he's wearing it" she whispered back "Let's just hope it's enough"

Merlin turned to her "I've been watching Arthur fight for a while, he'll win" he said smiling to reassure her.

She rolled her eyes "Yeah, kid, I just don't want to have to pull my necklace off a dead prince" she grinned once and wandered off towards where she would be sitting with Uther and Morgana.

Once everyone had settled in and the two Princes stepped out onto the field Uther stood "Today, Prince Christian of Scaldon will duel with our very own Prince Arthur of Camelot. They will duel to the challengers demands, to the death" he announced, his nerves obvious in his face.

Olin stood on his other side smiling like he was off for a walk in the park. Cassie smiled a bit at the thought that he would soon have very little to smile about.

Prince Christian looked up at his father then over at where Cassie and Morgana sat. He winked at the two young ladies and Cassie resisted the urge to flip him off "_Pendejo_" she spat under her breath.

Morgana glanced at her "What did you just say?" she asked.

Cassie smiled "It's in my native language, let's just say it's not very nice" she told the other woman then looked back to the arena.

Morgana giggled "You're going to have to teach me sometime" she said and turned back to the arena as well.

Cassie saw Arthur briefly touch the spot where her necklace rested around his neck and smiled. He then put on his helmet, as did Christian and the two fell into fighting stances.

They began to circle slowly and Cassie found herself gripping the arms of her chair a little too tightly. She quickly loosened her grip and focused on the fight that was about to unfold in front of her.

Christian was the first to strike, lashing out with his sword to Arthurs left. The blonde prince blocked it effectively with his sword and lunged back stabbing at Christians exposed arm. The sword made contact and slashed a shallow cut along his shoulder.

The dark haired prince looked disbelievingly at Arthur before swinging the sword at him again with renewed fervor.

The two swung the swords at each other for another few minutes, clearly evenly matched. Cassie found herself biting her lip and wincing whenever Christian got a shot to close to Arthur and told herself it was just that she really didn't want Christian to win.

Olin looked more worried than she felt and Cassie grinned. He had expected an easy victory for his son and now it was turning out to be more difficult than he had thought it would be.

She continued to watch and gasped with the rest of the crowd when Christian got in a lucky shot and tripped Arthur, knocking him over and sending his helmet rolling.

Christian brought his sword down hard just missing Arthur as the prince of Camelot rolled out of the way and jumped back up.

The two continued their dance, evenly matched in almost every stroke. Then Christian missed a step and faltered, Arthur took advantage of the opportunity to knock the sword out of his hand and brought up a foot to kick the other prince down.

Arthur stood over Christian, his sword pointed right at the other prince's heart, panting loudly. His blue eyes still smoldered with the adrenaline rush from the fight. After a few agonizing seconds Arthur stepped back and offered his hand to the man down on the ground.

Christian stared up at him with wide disbelieving eyes and took the offered hand, letting the prince of Camelot haul him to his feet.

"Our fathers are supposed to be negotiating peace, it wouldn't do for me to kill you" the blonde boy whispered to the dark haired one. All the prince of Scaldon could do was nod as the crowd cheered for their own prince.

Cassie settled into her seat for the first time since she had sat down and smiled. Their charm had worked and Arthur would live.

Later that night Olin and Christian left, full of apologies to Uther and Arthur, which the King and Prince of Camelot accepted graciously.

Cassie wandered around the castle listening to the thunder outside and the rain slamming drop by drop against the stone walls. Thunderstorms in the sixth century seemed different than the ones in her time. She stared out a window as the strikes of thunder lit up the sky thinking about home. She had been gone for more than two days and wondered how much her parents were freaking out. Or if they were at all, was time passing back home? Or was it like Narnia and no time passed in the real world while you were there. Cassie had no way of knowing but she knew she missed her parents and Ryan and the rest of her band.

"Lady Cassandra" she heard from down the corridor to her right, she turned to see Arthur walking towards her, her necklace clasped in his hand.

She put on her best smile "Congratulations on your victory" she said stepping away from the window as another peal of thunder shook the sky. The two torches in this corridor burned low casting the prince's face in sharp relief but even then Cassie could see the slightly self satisfied smile on his face.

"Thank you my Lady" he said "I wanted to return your necklace. It is one of the few things you have from home and I would hate to take it from you permanently" he said holding out the silver chain. Cassie smiled and stepped closer to him so she could take it from his hand. "May I?" he asked unclasping it and holding it open, waiting patiently. She nodded and stepped further forward. Arthur brought the chain around her neck and clumsily played with the clasp until he had it done, Cassie trying to stop from laughing the entire time.

"I'm glad it served its purpose, it helped you win" she said smiling and touching the disc that now hung around her neck.

Arthur scoffed "No, my extreme talent and hard training helped me win, but the token was very kind" he said.

Cassie glared at him, she could not believe he just said that "Well then since you seem to be fine, good night my lord" she snapped and turned on her heel to stomp down the hall.

Arthur stared after her his brow furrowed, genuinely wondering what he had done wrong.

Spanish Translations:

_Pendejo_: I'm not quite positive on the literal translation of this one because it could mean a lot of things but the best explanation I've ever heard of it was: "It's like idiot but ruder" I have to give credit to the TV show Burn Notice for that one. Basically it's not very nice at ALL.


	6. Chapter 6: Music and Lyrics

**A/N:** This is a sort of short chapter and its more cute than adventure-y. BUT I THINK I JUST HIT 20,00 words! Which is really exciting!

And guys, some more reviews would be nice! And a beta… pretty please! It's so tough betaing my own stuff cause I suck at spelling and grammar and it'd be nice to be able to get another opinion on my stuff before I post it ya know? Okay so enjoy this chapter :)

**XXX**

Cassie sat in her room glaring down at her guitar; none of her music would come to her. Thanks to Morgana, Arthur, and her own ego, she was singing at the banquet that night and she had no idea what to perform.

She got up and began to pace around in circles. She was uncomfortable in the basic white nightgown she had been wearing all day but it was more comfortable than the elaborate dresses Gwen helped her into every morning.

Cassie longed for a pair of one of her band member's basketball shorts and a tank top. Then she would be able to think clearly. As it was she was extremely tempted to change into the jeans and shrug tee she had shown up at Camelot in but she knew that would just be stranger.

A knock came on the door, and, assuming it was Gwen, Cassie opened it. It wasn't Gwen. It was Merlin.

The skinny boy smiled happily at her and held up the tray of food in his hands "I thought you might be hungry, Gwen said you've been cooped up in here all day preparing for tonight" he said.

Cassie smiled at him "Yeah, I have been and I'm starving, thanks for the food. Come on in" she invited and stepped back from the door to let him through. He put down the tray on her table and stood awkwardly while she walked back to the bed where her guitar lay. "Sit" she called back over her shoulder before picking up the guitar and sitting on the bed with it. "I hate it when people just stand there awkwardly…" she trailed off her eyes widening with the epiphany she was having.

"Cassie?" Merlin asked a little concerned at the look on his friends face.

"Stand" she repeated one of the words from her previous sentence, "Merlin you're a genius" she said grinning.

He frowned "Thank you but… what did I do?" he asked. Cassie grinned "Listen" she said and then began to strum the guitar, her fingers running along the frets, forming chords and riffs. Then she opened her mouth and began to sing. When she finished she looked up, a look of complete happiness on her face "What do you think?" she asked.

Merlin snapped out of his trance and applauded "That was incredible! I loved it!" he told her sincerely. Cassie's smile grew wider "Thanks _amigo_" she said grinning and dancing over to kiss his cheek. She picked up an apple from the tray of food and wandered around her suite biting into it.

Merlin stared at her, dumbstruck that she had just treated him, a servant, like a friend. Cassie turned back to him about to say something when she caught sight of the expression on his face "What?" she asked confused.

"What's _amigo_ mean?" he asked, genuinely curious and to hide the rest of his reaction.

Cassie laughed "It means friend" she said coming to sit down next to him "And you are my friend. I don't care if you're a servant or if I'm from two thousand eleven or that your boss is such a pain in my ass. I like you Merlin, you're my _amigo_" she told him, honesty burning in her hazel eyes.

Merlin smiled bigger than he had in a long time "Thanks Cassie, I guess you're my…" he stumbled over the foreign word "_Amigo_ too" he smiled.

Cassie grinned back "See you're learning, I can teach you more Spanish if you'd like" she offered.

Merlin tilted his head "Spanish is your native language?" he asked. Cassie nodded "Yeah. But it's not the official language of my country. I live in a place called the United States but my mom is an immigrant from a place where Spanish is the official language" she explained.

Merlin nodded slowly "Does your mom miss her home?" he asked, thinking of his home and his mom so far away.

Cassie nodded "Yes, she misses it a lot and because there's a lot of unrest there its hard to go visit. But she loves my father very much and she has me when I'm around so she's happy" she told him.

Merlin smiled "That's good" he said then frowned "Oh, I forgot, I was supposed to get Arthur his things to train with. He's going to kill me" he groaned and ran out.

Cassie smiled and shook her head at her forgetful friend. She went back to her guitar and picked it up to practice some more for that night.

**XXX**

"Merlin, I have to be ready for a banquet and none of my clothes are here" Arthur complained as he stood in front of his wardrobe.

"That's because they're on your bed sire" Merlin put in from the table where he was putting Arthur's armor in order.

"Ah" Arthur said and turned to the bed "Merlin!" he snapped angrily seeing the heap of clothes lying on top of the messily made bed.

"Sorry sire!" Merlin said and hurried over to organize the mess of shirts and trousers on the bed.

"Why are you so distracted today?" the prince asked putting his hands on his hips and staring at his manservant.

"I'm not distracted!" Merlin protested, proving his lie by dropping one of Arthur's shirts on the floor as he moved the messily folded pile of them to the wardrobe.

Arthur rolled his eyes and picked up the shirt "Don't lie to me Merlin, I see through it every time" he said, leaning against one of the posts on his bed.

Merlin sighed and turned back to face Arthur "I'm just excited for the banquet, Cassie…" Merlin cut off and caught his mistake a second too late "Lady Cassandra, showed me her song for tonight" he said, praying the prince missed his nickname for his new friend.

Arthur of course didn't, he raised an eyebrow "Cassie, huh?" he asked folding his arms in front of him and looked down at him "Merlin, you realize she's a princess, some people might find it strange that you refer to her by a nickname" he warned the other boy gently.

Merlin frowned "I know sire" he said and turned back to the wardrobe.

Arthur sighed "You don't _like_ her do you?" he asked, praying the answer was no. He didn't want to have his servant pining after a girl he was positive couldn't feel affection for anyone.

The disgusted look on Merlin's face confirmed that this was not true "No!" the boy said wrinkling his nose "Ca- Lady Cassandra is just a friend. Nothing more" he assured the prince.

Arthur laughed "All right, all right. Just making sure" he said smiling. Sometimes he wanted to throw Merlin off the highest tower but other times he truly enjoyed the smaller boys company.

**XXX**

"Cassie!" Morgana sang, waltzing into the fake princess's room, Gwen close behind carrying two dresses. Cassie had just finished her bath and stood in her nightgown at her table picking at a few grapes from the plate Merlin had brought earlier.

"Ever heard of knocking?" she asked the other woman, a good natured smile on her face. Morgana let out a laugh "Yes but this is too good to knock for" she said turning to Gwen.

Morgana picked up the first dress. It was a russet color with gold design around the waist and in a circlet around the neck that attached to the triangular bodice "This is the one I will be wearing" she said setting it over the back of the chair "And this" she picked up the second dress "Is for you" she said holding it out, her eyes expectant.

The dress was gorgeous, even to Cassie, a girl who preferred jeans and combat boots. It was royal blue and one shouldered. The thick strap that went over one shoulder was laced with gold design as was the waistband. "Wow, I can't wear this" she said looking between Gwen and Morgana who both wore expressions of disappointed confusion at her words. "It's gorgeous and I love it" she began to clarify "I just can't wear something so…" she trailed off searching for the right word "_Pretty_" she finished.

Morgana put her hands on her hips "Cassie, you are going to wear it and you are going to look incredible!" she insisted holding out the dress to her new friend "Who knows you might even catch the eye of some handsome knight" she winked.

Cassie laughed "I don't know about that but fine, I'll wear the thing" she said. Gwen helped the two ladies dress quietly, admiring how they looked in their finery. She piled Morgana's hair into an intricate knot and helped Cassie pull her messy waves up as well. Upon doing this she exposed Cassie's right shoulder and back. "My lady!" she gasped staring at her right collar bone, the one that wasn't covered by the dress "What is that?" she asked concerned.

Cassie glanced down, a little worried until she realized what Gwen had been pointing at. "It's fine Gwen. That's a tattoo" she said pointing to the black inked words that stretched from the edge of her collar bone to her shoulder.

"There's one on your back too" Morgana said in the same concerned, surprised tone as Gwen.

Cassie sighed "Yeah I know. A lot of people where I come from have them" she explained calmly to the women "They're sort of like permanent decorations" she said.

Their concern seemed to ease a little at the explanation but they still stared at her strangely. Cassie subconsciously ran her fingers over the tattoo on her collarbone. It read _Show Don't Tell_, which had been her bands first record. The day it came out the group had a long party and got very drunk and gone to get the tattoos done.

The two girls were still quiet so Cassie sighed "Really, they're perfectly normal where I come from. They're just decoration, like a necklace, only on your skin" she smiled quite convincingly, leaving out that part that it hurt like hell to have it done.

Morgana finally spoke up "I'm sorry Cassie, the only tattoo's I've ever seen before have been on Druids, they are magical symbols and magic is banned here. You only scared me a bit, they're very pretty" she said looking closer at the tattoos.

Cassie frowned, she had no idea what a Druid was but figured it was probably best not to ask. "I'm sorry for scaring you. They aren't magic I promise" she assured her new friend.

Morgana and Gwen smiled and they continued to ready themselves for the banquet.

"Morgana I think we're already late" Cassie complained as the Lady sat trying to decide between two bracelets.

"This is important!" the Morgana insisted "And we want to make an impression anyway, we have to be late to do that" she said, as if it should have been obvious.

Cassie turned to Gwen and rolled her eyes making the serving girl laugh. "Gwen, I never thanked you, but this dress is gorgeous and you did such an incredible job with my hair, thank you so much for tonight" she said to her.

Gwen smiled kindly back at her "It's no problem my lady. I get to go to the banquet as well, I am excited to see what kind of impression you two make" she laughed softly.

Cassie idly wondered if she was _the_ Gwen, Arthur's Gwen. She wondered how someone so sweet and soft spoken like Gwen could love someone as rude as Arthur but shook off the thought. It would all work out somehow. Probably long after she was gone.

"I think this one" Morgana said picking up one of the bracelets and sliding it onto one of her pale wrists. "Shall we?" she asked smiling and holding out her arm for the fake Princess.

Cassie grinned and took the arm and the two exited her chambers and made their way down to the banquet hall, Gwen following close behind, carrying Cassie's guitar.

The two women walked through the throne room doors and heads turned. In fact every head in the room turned and stared at the beautiful pair.

**XXX**

Merlin stood by Arthur as he spoke to some of his knights, bored out of his mind. The banquet was full of the usual annoying sort and the knights were some of the messiest eaters he'd ever seen.

Then the doors to the throne room-turned banquet hall opened and in walked Morgana and Cassie. They were in beautiful gowns, both showing off their arms, backs and shoulders. They were smiling like they knew the effect they had on the room, and that effect was obvious.

The people at the banquet fell quiet as the pair moved in, someone dropped a goblet and the clang echoed through the hall.

"My god" he heard Arthur mutter from his side, Merlin turned to see the prince, mouth agape, his eyes fixed on Cassie. Merlin held back a chuckle at Arthur's reaction.

Morgana and Cassie approached Uther at his seat at the far end of the throne room and both bowed. Uther smiled at them "Morgana, you always know how to make an entrance, you look radiant, as do you Lady Cassandra" he said.

Some of the action that had been going on before the women had entered picked up again but all the men in the room seemed to be able to spare glances at the two ladies.

Morgana went off to flirt with some knights and Cassie was stuck talking to some lord who could not keep his eyes on hers. She accepted the goblet of wine Gwen brought her gratefully and drank it quickly, trying to give herself enough buzz to forget about the annoying man in front of her.

"My lady" Arthur finally cut in, saving her from more talk with the lord, upon seeing Arthur, he bowed and scurried off.

Cassie groaned and let her shoulders drop, "I never thought I'd say this but I owe you one, jeez I swear if I heard one more word about crop patterns and taxes I was going to dump my glass on his head" she said to the prince, in a very un-regal manner.

Arthur assumed she wasn't used to the wine, he chuckled softly "If you had anything left to dump. You drank quite a bit of that wine already my lady" he said attempting to take the goblet from her.

"Uh-uh, I'm performing in a few minutes and with a crowd as dead as this one I'm gonna need the buzz" she said and tipped the goblet back to chug the whole thing.

Arthur watched her with a half concerned half impressed expression on his face. Then he caught sight of her tattoo "My lady I apologize but what is that?" he asked, trying to be polite about the words on her shoulder.

Cassie sighed and handed her empty wine goblet to a passing servant. "It's a tattoo it say's 'show don't tell' and no it's not magic" she said, repeating the basics of what she told Morgana and Gwen.

Arthur frowned "Why?" he asked his brow furrowing. Cassie arched an eyebrow "Why what? It's not magical because I'm not magical and I have it because it means something very important to me" she explained, answering all possible why's.

Arthur nodded "I see, sorry if I have offended you my lady" he apologized politely. Cassie's face softened "You know, sometimes I actually like you" she said and danced off to go find someone else to talk to.

He stood there staring after the strange princess, noticing another of the strange tattoo's on her back and wondering where in the world she had come from to be so different.

**XXX**

"And now my dear people of Camelot, I would like to present a special treat" Uther announced smiling at the people in the banquet hall "Our esteemed guest, the Lady Cassandra, princess of Puerto Rico, has agreed to demonstrate her musical talent for us" he continued. He sat and smiled at Cassie encouragingly.

Cassie took a deep breath and stepped up to the small cleared space someone had set up for her, she strummed the guitar a few times and adjusted the strap around her shoulder and then began to play.

The riff at the beginning gave way to chords and she opened her mouth and started singing "Here we stand again another day has passed us with its lack of change, and all we have is what we share and all we want is someone else to be there. And if the sun will set tonight, pour our secrets up to the sky, as our shadows grow there's nothing left to us. And if you ever doubt you will know that I still wonder how many times that I've compared the stars to your eyes" she sang staring out at the transfixed faces around her. She wasn't used to a crowd this quiet, even at acoustic sets where she would play this sort of thing there were usually girls squealing over Ben's good looks or skills with a guitar. The people in the throne room of Camelot were silent and attentive. Cassie caught Merlin's eye and he gave her a thumbs up and jerked his head towards the man next to him. Said man, was none other than Prince Arthur himself who was staring at her in such obvious open mouthed awe that she had to hold back a laugh. She launched into the last chorus smiling at everyone "We will make it through, no matter the cost we've gone this far, why not find out how it works out for you and me. We'll make it through, I thought we were lost but somehow we haven't found a way and I hope that we never do" she finished just singing, cutting out the guitar before the last note and letting her clear voice ring out over the silence.

The silence lasted another few seconds and then the room erupted into applause. Some people took a second to snap out of their trances and start clapping but after a matter of seconds their praise and claps were echoing off the high stone ceiling.

**XXX**

"You were fantastic tonight my lady" Gwen said as she went around Cassie's room snuffing out candles, though Cassie had insisted she could do it herself.

She smiled at the servant girl "Thank you Gwen, I'm glad you liked it" she said, feeling for all the world like she was talking to a fan after a concert. And after that performance she had a lot of fans to talk to. Lords and Ladies and almost everyone else at the banquet had been eager to bestow their praise on the young princess. Morgana had practically mauled her once she had gone to sit down at the high table with Uther and on her way back up to her room Merlin shot her a goofy grin to show he was all in favor of her performance.

One of the few people who hadn't spoken to her after the performance was Arthur. Probably because he didn't like that he had been proved wrong when he challenged her that she wasn't as good as Morgana said she was. However another knight, Sir Leon, had definitely congratulated her, a few too many times actually. Cassie smiled, she had a fan.

"Goodnight my lady" Gwen said, snuffing out the last candle. "Night Gwen" Cassie called back to the girl as she left.

She tried to sleep but sleep wouldn't come. Her thoughts kept drifting back to home and she found herself wondering if anyone missed her yet. Cassie forced the bad thoughts out of her head and finally drifted into a restless sleep.

Spanish Translations:

_Amigo_: If I have to explain that one to you, we have some serious problems.

Song:

Here We Stand by Amber Pacific


	7. Chapter 7: Lost and Found

**A/N:** OKAY SO BACK TO ADVENTURE! Yayyy! And I got a lovely review from a lovely anonymous fan who is my new favorite human being on the planet. No joke I saw it and spazzed out and was super happy so I decided to post another chapter :)

Reviews mean quicker updates loves. Its simple math.

**XXX**

"Oh no, I am not getting on that thing, Morgana" Cassie protested stepping away from the gorgeous black horse a stable boy had the reins of.

"Oh come on Cassie, don't you ride horses at home?" the lady asked smiling from atop her own white horse.

"No" Cassie said glaring at the horse, it seemed to glare back. Morgana rolled her eyes "Cassie, just get on the horse, please, for me?" she asked batting her big green eyes at the shorter girl.

Cassie glared at her "Fine" she said and stomped over to the horse. Ignoring the stable boy's hand she stuck her foot in the stirrup and pulled herself gracefully onto the horse. That was about the only graceful thing she did for the next half hour while they waited for Merlin and Arthur.

"Why do we have to go with them anyway?" Cassie grumbled as her horse tried to bolt for it for about the millionth time.

"Because when that horse finally loses you I'm going to need someone to help me get you back to the castle" Morgana laughed.

Cassie shot her a glare and pulled on the reins of her horse to make sure it didn't move again. She was not looking forward to their little riding excursion that Morgana had planned. Back in grade school Cassie had a friend who did horseback riding every day after school. She tried hard to remember what the girl had said about how to ride. You were supposed to do something called posting so you didn't bounce too much when you rode fast but Cassie couldn't remember what the hell posting was.

"Merlin!" she head Arthur's annoyed voice ring out across the courtyard and turned herself towards the steps. Merlin had missed a buckle on the prince's saddle and Arthur was hanging dangerously off the horse, murder in his eyes. Cassie couldn't help but laugh.

At the sound Arthur looked up at the princess and glared, it was not funny that he had to suffer Merlin's inexcusable forgetfulness. At least he didn't think so.

"Sorry sire!" Merlin rushed to fix the strap and set the saddle right as the prince climbed back onto his horse. Arthur cast him a dirty look and nudged his horse with his heels so it trotted over to where Morgana and Cassie sat.

Cassie was still smiling at him, holding back a laugh and his eyes narrowed. "Are you ladies ready?" he asked, staying polite despite his annoyance at the Lady Cassandra.

"Lets get this thing over with" she grumbled. Arthur smiled, she clearly didn't like horses and she was going to have to spend the day on one. Maybe it wasn't going to be such a terrible day after all.

"Ready" Merlin rode over to them smiling. Cassie smiled back at him "Then off we go, if they start riding fast you can't leave me okay Merlin?" she said to the servant.

He nodded and the four rode out of the gates. They rode at a fast canter and Cassie bounced in her saddle terrified of falling. She focused on how Morgana was riding, using her legs to hold herself so she moved with the horse rather than being bounced by it. Posting! Cassie mimicked her movements and felt instantly better.

Unfortunately that was when they entered the forest near the castle and the horses began to gallop along a thin dirt path and Cassie held on for dear life.

When they finally stopped by a stream Cassie dismounted hurriedly and stretched. She was _sore,_ the obnoxious dress she had to wear wasn't helping. She wished more than anything that she could just wear jeans and a t-shirt instead of these ridiculous gowns.

"How you holding up?" Merlin asked as he came to take the reins of the horse from her.

Cassie rolled her eyes "I've been better. I'll be sore as hell tomorrow but I'll live" she told him looking over at the stream they had stopped by. "Wow, this place is gorgeous" she admitted walking over to the edge and squatting down to dip the tips of her fingers into the clear water.

The stream was quiet and cool despite the warmth of the air and the nature around it just as beautiful. It was such a contrast to New York, where not even Central Park was this quiet. Cassie sighed as she took it all in, she was quickly falling in love with Camelot despite the complication that she was centuries out of her time and far away from her home and family. The rest of her company faded to the back of her mind as she thought of home and everyone there. She thought of what her mother would be doing now, probably freaking out. Rosa had already lost one child and Cassie knew it would kill her to lose the only one she had left. A tear slipped out of her eye and dropped into the stream to be washed away with the slow current. Cassie blinked furiously to dispel any of the remaining tears and looked up, across the stream.

"Cassie?" Morgana asked looking down at the other girl. Sometimes Cassie went off into her own little world inside her head and Morgana had no idea how to help her. She looked so sad all the time. "Cass?" she asked again, concern coloring her voice.

"Morgana leave her, she's clearly upset about something" Arthur said, taking her arm. Morgana shot him a glare that made him let go.

"Yes she is, which is why if you had a sympathetic bone in your body you would know she needs someone to comfort her" she snapped and leaned down to speak to her friend "Cass, come on, let us show you the rest of the woods. They're beautiful, I'm sure you'll love them" she spoke kindly and softly in the other girls ear.

Cassie snapped out of it and looked up "Yeah, sorry, I'd love to see it, lets go" she straightened up and shook out her skirt. She followed Arthur and Morgana away from the stream as they explored around the woods. It was just as beautiful as Morgana claimed and more so.

Large stones poked out of the ground and they started moving down into a misty valley. It was gorgeous and ominous at the same time and Cassie held back a shiver. Walking in the forest was much more difficult in the long dress but her combat boots were at least helpful in the steep climb down.

Arthur led the way, jumping down the slope in a way that showed this was how he was most comfortable. He turned occasionally to help the girls down. Morgana accepted his help gratefully but Cassie chose to ignore his outstretched hands, which was probably why she and Merlin fell so far behind the other two.

"I think we're lost" the dark haired boy said looking around for Arthur and Morgana who were nowhere in sight.

"We are not lost, I'll get us out of here, no worries" Cassie scoffed looking around the misty woods. She sounded a lot more confident than she felt; everything looked the same to her. "This way" she decided turning to the left and leading Merlin with her.

Suddenly she let out a gasp, there was an old man standing I front of her and he hadn't been there seconds ago. He wore an old, traveling cloak and carried an intricately carved staff. The man smiled at her "Cassandra Hayes, are you not?" he asked in a voice that sounded like leaves crunching.

"Yeah, how'd you know my name?" she asked warily. From her limited experience and the horror movies she'd seen, when creepy old men popped up from out of nowhere it usually wasn't a good thing. She glanced over her shoulder to see what Merlin thought of the old man but he was nowhere to be seen. "What'd you do to my friend?" she demanded, turning back to the man.

He raised a thin wrinkled eyebrow "Friend hm? A princess like you should not be friends with servants" he pointed out. Then he smiled again "But of course, you're not a real princess are you?" he asked rhetorically his eyes sparkling dangerously.

"Who the hell are you?" Cassie asked backing away slowly. The old man stepped forward as she stepped back. At this point she was in extreme freak our mode "Tell me who you are or I swear I'll punch you" she threatened making a fist with her left hand.

The man chuckled "I am a friend Cassandra. I can show you how to get home" he said leaning towards her. At this Cassie stopped, home, to her mom and dad and Ryan and her band and her life. The warnings she'd heard as a kid not to take candy from the sketchy guys in vans flooded her head but he knew who she was. He could get her home.

"Show me" she said loosening her fist and stepping closer to him. The man smiled again and Cassie wondered if this had been a good idea. "Come with me" he said and turned, leading her deeper into the mist.

**XXX**

"Arthur! Morgana!" Merlin called out, seeing their shapes through the mist as he stumbled towards them over the uneven forest floor.

"Merlin ,took you two long enough" Arthur called out to him, his annoyed expression turning into a frown as he noticed that Cassie was missing. "Where is the Lady Cassandra?" he asked looking through the mist for her.

"I don't know" Merlin panted "One second she was there and the next she wasn't I think she's lost" he said, worried about his friend.

"Lost?" Morgana asked the same worry he felt reflected in her eyes.

"Merlin, you had one job, to watch the Princess. How'd you _lose_ her?" Arthur asked annoyed. Morgana was going into hysterics and his father was going to kill him. He lost a Princess. And though he wouldn't ever admit it Arthur was just a bit worried about her. She was annoying and completely improper but there was something about the Princess and her incredible voice that kept him from hating her completely.

"We have to find her Arthur!" Morgana cried hurrying back the way Merlin had come looking for the girl. Arthur rolled his eyes, he wasn't about to lose two girls that day so he followed her, looking over his shoulder to make sure Merlin was close behind.

They stumbled through the mist for a while, Morgana calling out for her friend with increased urgency "Cassie!" she shouted for about the millionth time, again only answered by the echoes of her own voice. The fog seemed to be thickening and the three were successfully lost in a matter of minutes.

"Merlin, we aren't going to find her like this. We have to go back to Camelot and send out a search party" Arthur whispered to his servant, dreading the prospect of telling his father he had lost the Princess.

"We are not leaving her!" Morgana snapped turning around, having heard the comment Arthur meant to be whispered.

"It looks like we can't, seeing as we're probably as lost as she is" Merlin put in hands on his hips, looking around. "This seems to be the same spot I lost her at but she isn't anywhere around here" he said observing the trees and boulders that surrounded them.

Arthur frowned "Alright look for footprints and broken branches, anything to indicate which way she went" he said, taking charge. He bent to observe the snapped branch of a tiny plant that came to about his knee.

"Look!" Morgana cried from a few feet away. Arthur straightened and went over to her, Merlin just behind him. Morgana pointed to two prints in the ground, both very strange. One was of a large bare foot, probably of a man about Merlin's size. The other was some kind of boot but there appeared to be some kind of design on the bottom of the boot. "The boot is Cassie's, I'm sure of it, she has these strange riding boots she constantly wears" Morgana said, peering at the prints.

"Then what is the other print from?" Merlin asked leaning down as well to get a better look at the bare footprint in the mud.

"Could be a druid, they're all over these woods" Arthur said pulling out his sword and looking around "Let's follow them, it's the best lead we've got" he said and gently pushed past the other two to lead the way along the trail the Princess and whatever strange person was with her had left.

**XXX**

"Where are you taking me?" Cassie asked for about the hundredth time of the old man, who hobbled along, barefoot just in front of her. And for the hundredth time she received no answer. More than once she had been tempted to just stop following him and turn around to find Merlin, Morgana and Arthur. But the man was the only of the two who knew where he was going and she guessed her best chance at getting out of the foggy hell-hole was to follow him. "I can't believe I'm actually doing this" she muttered under her breath.

"Why not?" the man, who apparently had some kind of super-sonic hearing, asked from in front of her.

She made a face at his back and hoped he didn't have eyes in the back of his head too "I can't believe I'm following a complete stranger around some misty forest when I don't even know if he's telling me the truth about knowing who I am" she snapped.

The man let out a chuckle "Oh I know who you are Cassandra Hayes. You are a singer from a time far from now and you will change history" he said knowingly.

Cassie felt her jaw drop and she stopped short, causing the old man to turn around "How do you know what Alex said to me in my dream?" she asked the disbelief and fear she felt spelled out across her face.

The old man laughed again "Because I know your future and I know your past. It is your destiny to change the path of the people you will meet here" he said "But you want to go home and I can send you home" he said his smile making her shiver. He turned back towards the huge wall of boulders in front of them and waved his hand, parting the mist like a curtain to reveal the entrance to a cave. "After you my lady" he said bowing slightly.

Cassie hesitated a moment but then stepped forward and walked into the cave. She was Cassie Hayes and she was not going to be intimidated by a little old man.

The inside of the cave was hot and dark, lit only by a single candle wedged into a crevice in the rock. A light the size of a refrigerator could be seen at the far end of the cave but Cassie couldn't see where it led to. The old man pushed past her and murmured something and about a dozen more candles illuminated. The cave was circular and the candles were all wedged into similar crevices around the walls. A small pool took up the center of the room and Cassie could see that a stream led to it from the opening at the end of the cave.

Around the pool were various things that must have belonged to the old man. A messy cot was piled in one corner and various pots and books were scattered around the small space. It slightly resembled the way the tour bus looked after a few weeks of tour. The thought of tour and her band made Cassie frown.

She turned to the old man "Okay so you say you can get me home. How?" she asked, settling her hands on her hips.

The old man grinned crookedly "Unfortunately it is not that simple Cassandra Hayes" he said walking over to a book and picking it up.

Cassie rolled her eyes, she should have known "Okay what do I need to do?" she asked her impatience showing in her tone.

The old man looked up from the book he was flipping through, the lopsided smile still plastered on his face "Stand there" he instructed pointing at the pool.

Cassie hesitated, she didn't really want to step into the strange pool and she wasn't sure if she should trust this man. Alex had come to her in her dream and told her she would be there for sixty days. It had barely been six days and she was already trying to cheat her way home.

"You are hesitating Cassandra Hayes" the old man said and she looked up at him. "Would you like to see your family?" he asked, his eyebrows raised.

Cassie nodded vigorously. The old man said a spell and a ripple spread from the center of the pool and image shimmering into shape. It was of her mother sitting up in bed, a pile of tear soaked tissues next to her. She was sobbing softly, pulling another tissue from the blue box beside her bed. Cassie felt her insides twist, she knew how it must be killing her mom to have lost two kids. The only two children in the world that she had.

That image shimmered away into a second one. This one showed Ryan sitting alone in his kitchen, his head in his hands and the calendar on his phone open in front of him.

The third image in the pool showed her father, sitting in his office at NYU. He reached into a drawer in his desk and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter though he had given up smoking years ago. With trembling hands he attempted to light the cigarette in his mouth but it wouldn't take. In frustration he threw them both across the room. Then he stood up and swept all the papers, books and other things off his desk. He leaned down and picked up the family photo he kept there. It had been taken five years ago on a family vacation to Disney World in front of Cinderella's castle. Their parents had bought Cassie and Alex those Mickey Mouse head ice creams and they stood holding them up with Rosa and Greg behind them. The glass was now cracked but they still smiled happily from behind it. Her father sat back down and stared at the picture for another few seconds. Then he put his head down on his arms and Cassie watched as he shook with silent sobs.

"Stop!" she shouted feeling tears prick at her own eyes. Screw the sixty days she was supposed to be here. Alex had just been a dream telling her that and her family was in real pain. "Tell me what to do so I can go home" she asked the old man.

**XXX**

"It's a dead end!" exclaimed Morgana, stomping her foot in irritation.

The three stood in front of a solid rock wall with no visible opening that the trail could have disappeared into. Arthur paced around in front of it looking for a sign that they had turned another way but found nothing.

"They must have gone around" Merlin said frowning at the wall. There was something about it that bothered him and he ran his fingers along it searching for a crack or secret hinge to show there was a door there. He too found nothing.

"The lets go around!" Morgana snapped impatiently leading the way up the steep incline that led around the wall.

Merlin shrugged at Arthur who rolled his eyes and the two followed. They came over the top ofi t and saw the stream they had left their horses by earlier "At least we can find the horses" Arthur grumbled.

Merlin and Morgana both shot him dirty looks. It wasn't that he wasn't worried about Lady Cassandra, he was. But he didn't see how wandering around in the mist was going to help find her.

They wandered towards the stream, seeing that it led into a cave that the mist seemed to be pouring out of.

"Listen!" Merlin hissed suddenly and they all froze. They could hear a voice chanting from inside the cave. It wasn't speaking English and Merlin recognized the words echoing from the tunnel as magic. "There's a sorcerer in there" he whispered.

Arthur glared at him "And how would you know what a sorcerer sounds like?" he asked in that annoying tone he had.

"He's right, that's not English" Morgana cut in before the two men could start arguing "And I'd bet you, Cassie's in there with him" she said inching forward towards the entrance.

Arthur caught her round the waist "Oh no, you're not going in there, do you know what my father would do to me if I lost you too?" he asked, pushing her back. He drew his sword "I'll go in and deal with this" he said and stepped into the stream, beginning to make his way quietly into the tunnel.

Merlin followed as quietly as possible, he wanted to save Cassie more than anyone. She was the one person who knew his secret who he could talk to about it. She encouraged him to use his magic and was kinder to him than any other noble in the castle.

The two crept along, the echoing voice of the sorcerer in the cave growing louder. They reached the point where the tunnel opened up into the cave and saw a hunched old man standing at the edge of a small pool, chanting incantations loudly, his eyes glowing the same color gold Merlin's did when he used magic. In the center of the pool stood Cassie staring at the man, transfixed.

Arthur crept along a little further and then broke into a run, jumping out of the stream and crossing to the old man more quickly than Merlin had ever seen him. He raised his sword and brought it down on the man.

The old man vanished into thin air as soon as the sword touched him and with the force behind it, it struck the floor hard. Cassie screamed and fell, Merlin darting forward to catch her before she could hit her head on the rocks.

Arthur whirled in confusion, still holding the sword up, looking for the man but he was long gone. Realizing this, he sheathed his sword and moved over to help Merlin drag Cassie out of the pool.

"Cass, Cass wake up" Merlin said shaking her gently. Her eyes fluttered open and she sat up quickly putting a hand to her head.

"What the fuck just happened?" she asked looking around at the cave and the two men. Her head was throbbing and the last thing she could remember was the old man starting the spell that would send her home.

"You were under an enchantment. The sorcerer was trying to kill you" Arthur told her straightening up and offering a hand to help her to her feet. She ignored it and pushed herself up on her own causing the prince to roll his eyes.

"How do we get out of here?" she asked, wanting to sleep more than anything but knowing they had a long horse ride back.

"This way" Merlin took her arm and led her down the tunnel back out to where Morgana stood. Upon seeing her friend Morgana hugged the girl tightly and Cassie hugged back.

"I was so scared they weren't going to find you! I almost came after you myself. I'm so happy you're alright" she said.

Cassie smiled "I'm fine, but I think we've all had enough adventure for one day, lets head back?" she suggested looking around. The mist had lifted almost completely and the stream was visible so they could follow something to where they left the horses.

**XXX**

Cassie looked up at the knock on her door and got up to open it. Merlin stood on the other side with a tray of fruit and a smiled. Cassie stood back to let him in silently. He placed the tray on the dining table and turned to her "I wanted to make sure you were all right" he said, concern on his face.

Cassie nodded "I'm fine. It was just a tough day" she said honestly. Uther had a panic attack when she came back and Arthur told him about the sorcerer. He'd insisted on an armed guard next time they went out.

"What did the sorcerer want?" Merlin asked, curiosity winning him over.

"He was going to send me home" Cassie whispered looking down "He showed me how miserable my family is, my mom, dad and Ryan" she told him, counting Ryan as part of her family though biologically he wasn't. "I have to go back to them!" she said, her eyes begging for him to understand.

And Merlin did, he crossed to her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder "It's going to be okay Cass, you'll get home soon enough. Gaius and I are searching for ways to send you home okay?" he told her.

She smiled up at him "Thank you Merlin, you're the best" she said and, to his extreme surprise she hugged him. After a second of standing there in shock, Merlin hugged her back.


	8. Chapter 8: Somebody Told Me

**A/N:** SO I GOT REVIEWS! My computer like spazzed for a few days which is why this is so late. So sorry! But um yeah I'm super stoked :)

So I'm going to answer my lovely reviewers here:

To my anonymous fan: Thank you so much the review means the world to me! And I LOVE that you appreciate my Spanish usage! I'll try to do that more now :) Question: should I put the translations in parenthesis after the word or just leave em at the bottom? Cause I don't know if its annoying or what.

.x: THANK YOU! Arthur is THE hardest character for me to write and I work REALLY hard on him so I'm so glad someone likes how I do it!

OKAY SO HERE'S THE STORY!

**XXX**

The witch looked down the hill from her horse, glaring at the hunting party from Camelot, pure hatred in her violet eyes. She glanced up towards the turrets of the palace she could just see through the trees and realized she had a very small window of time to carry out her plan. With one last glare down at the party she kicked her horse and rode off.

**XXX**

Arthur crept forward quietly his bow at the ready as they snuck up on the deer. He was in perfect shooting range when Merlin toppled out of his crouch, crashing loudly through the brush. The deer spooked and ran through the woods away from its silent predator.

Arthur turned to his clumsy manservant, a look of controlled anger on his face "Merlin" he said causing the dark haired boy to look up at him from where he lay on the ground, trying to disentangle himself from a bush.

"Yes sire?" the boy asked, all innocence.

"I have no idea why I bring you on these things" he muttered annoyed and stood up. "Let's head back to the castle, it looks like Merlin's managed to scare off half the game anyway" he glared down at the boy again.

The rest of the company of soldiers from Camelot with them all let out low groans of disappointment as they rose from their hidden positions. Merlin finally struggled to his feet, his head hung. The fact that he messed up Arthur's hunt didn't bother him too much but he wasn't looking forward to dealing with the prince's bad mood later.

The group continued to move back towards Camelot. They stopped worrying about how loud they were and talked amiably with each other as they made their way through the woods.

Without warning a massive group of bandits ran at them down the hill to their right. Arthur snatched his sword from Merlin and dove with fervor into the attacking group.

Merlin ducked a bandit's sword as the big man swished it at him. He muttered a spell and the sword flew out of the man's hand and hit another oncoming bandit. Another spell sent a branch falling from the tree above them onto the bandit who was still looking around in confusion, trying to figure out where the sword had gone.

Arthur parried the sword of one of the bandits and elbowed him hard right under the chin, knocking his head back before stabbing him quickly in the heart. He pulled his sword out and ducked quickly as another bandit came running at him. He stabbed his one as well and whirled looking for someone else to attack. He saw Merlin duck behind a tree as a bandit came at him and rolled his eyes. He really needed to get that boy a sword, though that might do more damage than good.

A horse came galloping towards them, a woman in a blood red cloak with the hood up on its back. The bandits parted for her as she galloped to the middle of the fight and shouted a spell. Many of the guards turned at her words but they were all too distracted by the bandits attacking and outnumbering them to notice two of the bandits pick up a limp form and run off, following the woman on the horse.

After the woman left the bandits started to disperse until all that was left was the dozen or so dead ones and the tired party from Camelot.

"We must go warn my father" Arthur announced "Bandits this close to Camelot is a problem" he said and looked around to make sure that the rest of his hunting group was all right. Noticing Merlin was nowhere in sight he sighed loudly "They're gone now Merlin, you can stop hiding" he added.

When Merlin didn't appear from behind a tree or under a bush Arthur frowned. As much as he teased the other boy, he didn't want to see him truly hurt. "Merlin?" he asked looking around to see if he could find the boy. "Merlin?" he repeated louder. Getting no response he turned to his men "Well find the idiot!" he snapped and they jumped into action.

"Sire" one of them said coming up to him "When that strange woman rode through on her horse I saw two of the men carrying someone off, I didn't realize it till now but I think it was your servant" the man told him quietly.

"Are you trying to tell me Merlin has been kidnapped?"Arthur demanded in disbelief. What would anyone want with his clumsy, annoying manservant? The man nodded "Yes sire, unfortunately" he said, sounding a little nervous.

Arthur took a deep breath "Figure out who they are and where they hail from, quickly" he instructed his men. They set about doing so as Arthur watched lost in thought. Why had someone kidnapped his manservant? He clearly wasn't anyone important nor was he even a good fighter. He wasn't anyone of consequence that they could get a ransom for or use for blackmail. Yet it was Merlin who was missing, stolen by the woman on the horse.

He knew she was magic, she had shouted some kind of incantation before she rode off. Maybe the magic had done something to make the kidnapping of a clumsy servant boy worthwhile. Either way he wasn't going to just leave him in the mysterious clutches of some sorceress.

"My lord! They seem to be of Mercier, but that is all we can tell" one of the men informed him. Arthur nodded and looked around one last time, frowning. "We're going back to tell my father" he shouted and the group all turned to accompany him back to Camelot.

**XXX**

"You're telling me that some kind of sorceress kidnapped your manservant?" Uther asked his son, eyebrows raised in disbelief.

Cassie was clutching the arms of her chair, leaning forward, waiting for Arthur to say he was kidding or for Merlin to jump out from behind a pillar and laugh at her reaction. But Arthur simply nodded, his jaw tight.

"We will send out patrols into the woods to keep the bandits at bay and hopefully locate this sorceress. Someone with magic so close to Camelot could do a lot of damage Arthur" Uther informed his son.

Cassie was ready to scream. What about Merlin? She knew that his capture by a sorceress was dangerous. This sorceress could know his secret and she could easily force him to do something terrible. Merlin was powerful enough to make an imprint on history so even at this young age he was clearly a very gifted warlock.

"What about Merlin father?" Arthur asked, his expression giving away his worry for the servant.

"We shall hope that the patrols find him" Uther waved the matter aside, clearly not believing that the servant was important enough to worry about.

"Then I will lead one of the patrols" Arthur decided, a determined look in his eyes. Uther frowned at him "No, you will stay here and continue your duties. It is a simple matter and I will not risk this sorceress capturing you, which was no doubt her intention" he said.

Arthur's jaw dropped "Father, are you saying I am incapable of facing a sorceress?" he asked, clearly insulted.

Uther sighed heavily "No Arthur, it is just not important for you to catch her, you have more important things to do" he said.

Cassie glared between the two royals waiting for _someone_ to go after Merlin. They couldn't just leave him! But no one did and Uther dismissed the council. Cassie stormed out, Morgana close behind her. "It's all right Cassie, the patrols will find him. The sorceress can't want much with the Prince's serving boy" she said, attempting to reassure her.

Cassie felt anything but reassured. Merlin could be used as a weapon, it wasn't just that he knew everything there was to know about Arthur and how to get to him but his magic was powerful, if a little under developed. But she forced a smile "I hope so Morgana" she said to the other girl and the two went their separate ways.

**XXX**

Merlin woke up with a pounding head, the last thing he remembered was a woman riding into the middle of the fight with the bandits and casting a spell. Then he blacked out. He tried to sit up only to find that his hands were tied with a rope, knotted intricately around his wrists. He looked around him, he was in a cave, the opening in front of him and light spilling through. Maneuvering himself around he saw he was completely alone.

He muttered a spell that should have undone the knot but nothing happened. Whoever had bound his hands had used magic to do so. He frowned and struggled into a sitting position just as someone entered the cave.

It was the woman who had ridden into the camp on the black horse and shouted the enchantment. Her hood was down now and despite the shadows Merlin could see her face clearly. She was very beautiful, her long black hair was pulled into a braid down her back and her pale skin seemed to glow in the light from the mouth of the cave. She had high cheekbones and an angular face and the most intriguing violet eyes he had ever seen.

Upon seeing him up the woman smiled "Awake I see. I was beginning to wonder if my spell was ever going to wear off. I did a rather good job with it, don't you think Emrys?" she asked bending down so she was at eye level with him.

Merlin gulped, this woman knew what the Druids called him, meaning she knew of his magic. "Who are you?" he asked, the words cracking past his dry throat like sandpaper.

The woman smiled "I am Vivianne, I have been watching you Emrys" she informed him. "I have seen what you do in Uther's court, no one knows how much you help and no one thanks you" she said.

Merlin nodded "Well it's nice to know someone notices" he said, his mind racing thinking of a way to get out of this cave, away from this woman.

"Your talents are wasted protecting that fool Arthur. You are to be the greatest Sorcerer that ever lived!" Vivianne's eyes burned with the intensity of her words "You can do so much more" she told him.

Merlin nodded, clearly this woman was a little nuts "Thank you for the, um, confidence but really I'm happy helping Arthur out. He sort of needs it" he said.

Vivianne narrowed her beautiful eyes "But you do not need him. If you could destroy Camelot you wouldn't have to hide your magic and you could control the entire kingdom" she said, her voice rising in pitch as she continued. "I don't _want_ to destroy Camelot" he told her honestly.

She glared at him again "Emrys you are blinded by what you believe to be your destiny, but you can change it!" she insisted. Merlin shook his head "What do you want from me?" he asked.

Her eyes brightened and she leaned forward "I want you to teach me everything you know"

**XXX**

Cassie threw the doors open and marched into Arthur's chambers, her face all business. The prince looked up in surprise as the large wooden doors clanged shut behind her. He was standing at his table, his sword in hand and a map laid out in front of him. "Lady Cassandra, what can I do for you?" he asked, all politeness.

Cassie wasn't having it "Tell me you aren't just going to leave Merlin with that crazy bitch who stole him" she demanded, her hazel eyes stormy with anger.

Arthur frowned, it was incredibly improper for a Lady of Cassandra's standing to speak so rudely but he answered her question anyway "You know my father has ordered me to stay here" he said vaguely.

"And you're going to listen to him?" she cried throwing her tiny hands in the air. Arthur stared at her, he couldn't help but notice that she was the most intense woman he had ever met, not to mention one of the most beautiful.

He pushed those thoughts out of his head and answered "He is the king, but no I will go search for Merlin on my own. But it must be an absolute secret" he insisted, though he knew for some reason Lady Cassandra wouldn't tell anyone.

She smiled, and something in that smile made him a little wary. Her next words confirmed the feeling; "Okay so when do we leave?" she asked walking over to the table and leaning over it to see the map.

"_We_?" he asked in disbelief. There was no way she thought she was going with him. She was a lady, a princess, she couldn't go out searching for servants like she was some kind of knight.

"Yes _we_" she glared up at him, even at about a foot shorter than him she was intimidating "I'm coming with you of course" she said, as if it was obvious.

Arthur refused to stand down "You are _not_ coming with me. Lady Cassandra, you are a princess and a guest in Camelot. It would not be proper for you to go out…" he started to lecture but she cut him off "Screw being proper! He's my friend and I'm not just going to sit here and wait for you to go rescue him!" she shouted.

Arthur drew himself up to his full height, he would not budge on this "Lady Cassandra I cannot allow you to come with me, you will stay here in Camelot and if I have to put armed guards at your doors to ensure that I will" he said.

She glared up at him, the fury in her eyes enough to make a lesser man run for cover. Then she turned and stomped out of the room, slamming the large wooden doors behind her.

Cassie was livid, who the hell did he think he was? Ordering her around like that and threatening her. He couldn't not let her go after Merlin! He was her friend!

She made her way up to the physicians chambers, shooting death glares at all the people she passed. "I can't believe him!" she cried throwing open Gaius's door and marching in.

The old man looked up from the potion he was making in alarm "Cassie! What on earth are you going on about?" he asked.

"Arthur!" she exclaimed "He wont let me go with him to find Merlin!"

Gaius sighed "Cassie, you are a Lady and in this time Ladies do not go out after anything, princess or not women stay at home and men go out on quests" he paused, her reaction not the calm one he had hoped for. "Arthur is a good man, and deep down he truly cares about Merlin. If anyone can find him it will be Arthur" he assured her.

Cassie sighed, clearly no one was going to take her side on this "Thank you Gaius, you're right of course" she said nodding.

Gaius smiled, thinking he got through to her "I'm glad you see sense, now I have to go deliver this to Uther" he said holding up the potion.

Cassie nodded and smiled "I was just going to re-wrap my wrist" she said holding up her arm. Gaius nodded and left. As soon as his footsteps faded down the hall Cassie jumped up and hurried up to Merlin's room. If she was going to sneak out she'd need some supplies.

**XXX**

Merlin's throat felt like the great dragon had breathed down it, he was hot and tired and Vivianne's cool stare was not helping. "Can I have some water?" he asked, his voice sounding as raspy as it felt.

Vivianne stared at him with those cold hard eyes and shook her head. Ever since he'd told her he wasn't going to teach her what he knew, his excuse being partially true, that he didn't know that much, she had been sitting in the mouth of the cave glaring at him as she used magic to start fires and put them out in front of her.

Merlin was starting to worry he would never get out of there and die of thirst before anyone found him. If anyone came looking, he knew Arthur cared about him deep down, enough to risk his life to save him. But would Uther let him? And would he listen? And even if Arthur did come, would he be able to find him or face Vivianne?

And then there was Cassie, he knew her well enough to know that she would be itching to come rescue him, though that was totally abnormal for a woman, let alone the princess she was pretending to be. And even if she made it out she would face the same challenges as Arthur, with the added disability that she didn't know the woods surrounding Camelot. If that's even where he still was.

Merlin sighed "All right Vivianne, what do you want me to teach you?" he asked giving in. If he could get her to untie him and he could escape…

Vivianne squealed happily at his request and got up she came and sat herself down right in front of him, seeming very childlike in her actions "I want you to teach me how to…" she trailed off thinking "Move objects around! I saw you make that sword go flying into one of my men, teach me how!" she decided.

Merlin sighed, he didn't want to teach her how to do anything destructive just yet. "How bout I show you how to undo knots with magic?" he offered.

Vivianne tilted her head to the side as she considered it in a way that reminded him of Cassie "Fine" she said after a few seconds.

"I'm going to need some rope" he said, turning himself ever so slightly so she could see the length of rope tied around his wrists. She looked around frowning for a second "I don't have any" she said.

"There's some around my wrists, we could use that" he said, trying to not sound guilty. Vivianne smiled and moved to untie the rope, then suddenly froze, she turned her violet glare on him "You were trying to escape" she hissed and leaned back, starting to retreat to where she had been sitting all day.

Merlin shook his head, trying to get out of it "No, I wasn't, I just wanted to teach you" he lied.

She continued to glare at him and back up "Don't lie to me Emrys, I can tell when you're lying" she said, her glare even colder than before if that was possible.

Merlin sighed and sat back against the rock wall. He could only sit there and hope that Cassie or Arthur would come find him.

**XXX**

Arthur snuck out of the castle and into the stables without awakening anyone or tipping off the guards. He had placed an armed guard at either end of the corridor that Lady Cassandra's room was on before he left to ensure she wouldn't leave. He hated having to treat her like a child but it was simply unacceptable for a Princess to go searching for a servant.

He saddled his horse on his own, silently cursing Merlin for not being there to do it for them and led the animal quietly through the south gate. Once far enough away from Camelot to not be heard he mounted the horse and began riding, he would have ridden all night if it weren't for the fact that he'd been out hunting all day and riding alone at night in the south woods was dangerous for someone who was fully awake, which Arthur wasn't.

He set up camp a few miles into the woods, tying the reins of his horse to a tree and setting up a small fire to keep himself warm. He was thankful he hadn't worn the heavy chainmail he usually had on for these kind of adventures because he knew it would only slow him down.

Arthur sat, staring at the fire in an attempt to stay awake but he was finding it hard not to fall asleep after the long day he'd had.

A branch snapped somewhere to his left and he snapped to attention, someone or something was in the woods, close enough to him to be heard. He stood up slowly and drew his sword, eyes straining to see past the small circle of light cast by the fire.

It was a cloudy night and the moon offered no help as he searched the woods around him, stepping closer to where he heard the branch snap. Then he felt the soft prod of a sword at his back. He froze, somehow his attacker had managed to get behind him.

Arthur knew he had two options, swing his sword around quickly and hope to catch his attacker off guard, or surrender, for now.

He chose the second option and held up his hands, letting his sword drop. He slowly turned to see who was behind him and felt his jaw drop.

**A/N:** Okay I know, it's a cliffhanger. BUT REVIEWS WILL BRING A QUICKER UPDATE. Just sayin


	9. Chapter 9: The First Of Many

**A/N:** Since I'm getting a response for this story it will be updated more often… can I hear a yay? Kay cool.

To all the kids who reviewed LOVE YOU GUYS! This is for you :)

**XXX**

"Gotcha" Lady Cassandra grinned at him and lowered her sword. She was dressed in what was clearly a boys shirt, a belt tied around her thin hips and the strangest, tightest pair of trousers he had ever seen. She wore her usual boots and her long wavy hair was pulled back in a simple bun at the back of her head, her bangs falling forward into her face.

"What in gods name are you doing here!" Arthur all but yelled. He didn't know where she had gotten the clothes, let alone that sword or how she had eluded the armed guards at either end of her hallway.

"Helping you obviously" she said rolling her eyes and turning away from him. She sat down in front of the fire and held her hands out to warm them while Arthur stood staring at her in disbelief.

"Where did you get all this, how did you get out of Camelot, how did you find me?" he asked, questions spilling out of his mouth quickly in his astonishment.

She looked up at him and indicated for him to join her sitting. He did so, slowly, he still wasn't sure whether to yell at her or applaud her for making it out here.

"The shirt is Merlin's, he seemed the closest to my size and its still huge on me" she said glancing down at the blue shirt she had on. Arthur looked at it closely, it did look familiar. "The pants are mine, I had them on when I got here and they're so much more comfortable than the annoying dresses Morgana and I wear" she said stretching out her legs.

"I kidnapped the sword from the armory, its sorta heavy but easy to get used to" she continued, hefting the sword from one hand to the other. It was small as swords go but still it was impressive that someone so small could wield it.

"So now that you've admitted to stealing from Camelot, how did you get out of the castle?" Arthur asked, still wondering if he'd fallen asleep at the fire and this was all some kind of dream.

Cassie grinned "Window" she said simply and Arthur resisted the urge to groan. "You climbed out a fifth floor window?" he asked, half impressed half exasperated.

"Yup" she said popping the p. "Finding you was a pain in the ass, I had to take the damn horse and it didn't want to listen to me" she said glaring back over her shoulder to the woods where she had no doubt left the poor animal.

"First thing in the morning you are riding back" he told her firmly. He couldn't have her with him, how could he be expected to find Merlin and watch out for her?

She shot him a glare "Look I can help you and if I don't go with you I'll just go on my own" she argued.

"Then I will take you back to Camelot myself" Arthur insisted, he was not about to let her go with him.

"That will take time we don't have, and you snuck out too, if your father catches you bringing me back he'll flip a shit" she shot back, her logic perfect.

Arthur realized this and scowled "Fine, but I am not looking after you" he lied "Something happens to you and it's your fault" he said, idly wondering what her last phrase meant.

She shrugged "Fine by me, I'll take first watch, you sleep" she said picking up her sword and setting it across her lap.

Arthur shook his head "No, you sleep my Lady, I'll take the watch" he said, trying to be polite despite the fact that he wanted to scream at her. She glared back at him and he sighed, she was clearly used to getting her way and he was pretty tired so he didn't argue.

He laid down, using one of the packs he'd brought full of food as a pillow and tried to fall asleep. As tired as he was sleep wouldn't come and he found himself watching Lady Cassandra across the fire. She was tapping her feet and singing something under her breath so softly he could just hear the faintest whispers of it from where he lay.

She leaned down and picked up a fallen leaf from the ground and began slowly tearing it apart, her mouth moving to the words of whatever song she was singing to herself. Arthur strained harder to hear the words but couldn't over the crackling of the fire, just the soft melody.

Catching him looking, she raised her eyebrows at him across the fire and Arthur sighed and closed his eyes, concentrating hard on her voice and letting the wordless melody lull him, finally to sleep.

**XXX**

"Do you even know where we're going?" Cassie asked Arthur, nudging her horse so it would move up alongside his.

The blonde boy turned to her "For the hundredth time, we're going towards Mercia" he told her exasperated by her lack of confidence and constant second guessing.

"Yeah but that's not very specific" she argued crossing her arms, the reins of her horse still gripped tightly in one hand. Her horseback riding skills had improved since the last time they had gone out and though she didn't look entirely comfortable, she was holding her own in the saddle.

"We only know that the men who attacked us came from Mercia. We're assuming that's where they're headed" he told her.

"We're assuming?"she repeated skeptically. She knew deep down he was worried about Merlin but sometimes he really didn't act like it.

"There's only two of us and we have horses and there's a lot of them on foot, we'll catch up to them soon enough" he assured her, sensing her nervousness. Cassie still glared at him skeptically but he pretended not to notice and they rode on.

After about an hour of silence Arthur finally spoke "I'm sorry, Lady Cassandra…" he started but she interrupted him "If you're going to keep calling me Lady Cassandra this is going to be a very long rescue mission" she pointed out "Call me Cassie, please"

He sighed "Fine, Cassie" he said, the corner's of his mouth turning up ever so slightly at the nickname.

"See much better" she teased, "Now what were you going to apologize for?" she asked, still grinning.

Arthur looked down at her and rolled his eyes "I wasn't going to apologize for anything" he teased her, the ghost of a smile on his face.

This time Cassie rolled her eyes "Liar" she smiled and nudged her horse forward to ride in front of him. Arthur smiled after her, then he noticed the smoke, a thin tendril twisting up from amongst the trees about a mile away.

"Cassie" he called out, the nickname coming easier than he had expected. She pulled her horse to a stop and turned. "Look up there, there's smoke" he pointed.

Cassie turned and looked where he was pointing then turned back to him "Let's go check it out" she said and dismounted her horse.

Arthur personally thought it was a little early to ditch the horses but even in her strange tight trousers she looked extremely uncomfortable so he decided not to argue.

Cassie was actually more than uncomfortable, give her a summer day in southern Texas and an outdoor concert to play and she could manage. Stick her on a horse in the woods for a few hours and she felt like she was going to die.

She stretched out as Arthur dismounted the horse with a lot more ease than she had. "We should leave the horses a little closer to their camp" he said glancing up to make sure he would still see the smoke from the ground. The sun was just dipping below the trees and it would be dark soon.

Cassie sighed "Let's go then" she said puling at the reins of her horse which had decided it was snack time and was munching happily on the grass at her feet. She groaned "_Caballo estupido_" she muttered.

Arthur raised his eyebrows , a half amused expression on his face. She glared at him and yanked on the reins again. The horse finally obeyed her and began to follow as she tugged it along.

They walked about another half mile with the horses before tying them to a sturdy looking tree and moving on alone. The two crept silently through the woods towards smoke they could still see faintly against the night sky.

They came upon the bandits camp and hid in the brush while scoping out the scene. Several tents were set up where most of the bandits slept. A large man sat by the fire, clearly on watch.

"Are they the same ones who kidnapped Merlin?" Cassie whispered to Arthur. They were huddled together in the brush, close enough that even her whisper sounded like she was speaking aloud.

Arthur nodded mutely and Cassie turned back to the camp "So how you wanna play this?" she asked quietly. When she didn't get an answer she sighed and rephrased "What's the plan?".

"Allright, you distract him and I'll search around for Merlin" he said, sounding like the leader he was meant to be.

"Arthur, the guy's built like an offensive tackle! You really expect me to be able to take him? I mean I'm good, but I'm not that good" she argued.

He gave her a strange look "What, in gods name, is an offensive tackle?" he asked.

Cassie sighed "It's a spot in football, remind me to teach you about it sometime, the point is he's huge! I can't fight him, he'll wake everyone else anyway" she explained.

Arthur frowned "You're right" he thought for a minute while Cassie smiled at him admitting she was right. "Then don't fight him, go in there and… be all… girly" he said a little haltingly as he searched for the right words.

Cassie glared at him "You have _got_ to be kidding me" she said.

"Cassie I'm not any more comfortable sending you in there without any way to protect yourself than you are but do it for Merlin" he said, trying to help.

"I am perfectly capable of handling myself, thank you very much" Cassie snapped. She rose and retreated into the woods quietly, leaving Arthur crouched in the brush shaking his head in bewilderment.

A few seconds later he heard her heavy steps through the woods and watched as she stumbled past him into the clearing where the bandits had set up camp. She had pulled her hair out of its bun and messed it up to make herself look like she'd been wandering through the forest a while.

The man on watch stood abruptly, his hand on the hilt of his sword but relaxed when he saw it was a woman. "Oh thank god!" she said holding her hand to her chest "I thought I'd be lost in these woods forever! You don't mind if I warm myself up by the fire for a minute or two do you?" she asked, all innocence. She was pretty good.

Arthur began to creep around the back of the tents, keeping an eye on Cassie in case she needed him. he crept towards the first tent and pressed his ear to the rough material to listen if anyone was awake. Hearing nothing but heavy breathing he pulled a knife from his belt and slit a hole in the fabric of the tent. Peering through he saw only bandits, sleeping, sprawled messily on the ground. He made a face and moved on. All the tents yielded the same results; no Merlin. He crept back around towards the fire where Cassie was still holding her own with the man on watch –but barely.

"Where'd you come from?" the man asked in a deep gravely voice that fit his massive bulk, leaning towards her, leering at her.

"I was kidnapped!" she said, tilting herself away from him ever so slightly. "I was out minding my own business and out of nowhere rides these men with swords and they grabbed me! It took me weeks to escape" she said, clearly making up her lies as she went along.

"Oh really?" the man leaned further towards her, placing a hand on the log she sat on, just behind her, effectively trapping her close to him "And what did they want you for?" he asked letting his eyes drift over her body.

Arthur felt a flash of anger go through him, Cassie was a princess, no one had any right to treat her that way, no one had any right to treat any woman that way. He jumped up out of the bushes and sprinted over to the fire to knock the man on the back of the head, hard with the hilt of his sword. The man collapsed immediately falling at Cassie's feet, unconscious.

She looked up at him "What took you so long?" she asked standing up and pushing his arm away from her "I was about to have to do that myself" she glared down at the massive man with disgust. Then looked back up at Arthur "Well where's Merlin?" she asked as she began to re-coil her hair into its previous neat bun.

Arthur frowned "He wasn't here, I don't understand" he said.

"He wasn't here?" Cassie demanded, her annoyance and worry coming out in her tone. "Well where is he?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.

He sighed "I don't know" he said looking around the camp one more time. It didn't make sense for Merlin to not be here.

"You're sure these are the guys?" Cassie asked. Arthur nodded and she frowned "Then someone else must have Merlin" she thought aloud "Whatever happened to that sorceress? Is she here?" she asked.

Arthur shook his head "No she wasn't. She must have him someplace else" he said frowning. They had wasted all this time tracking the wrong people. "We have to interrogate one of them and find out where the witch is keeping Merlin" he decided and to his surprise Cassie grinned.

"Let's do it" she said leaning over to pick up a coil of rope from where it sat next to the log she'd been sitting on. They tied the hands and ankles of the bandit they had knocked out. "How're we gonna move him?" Cassie asked looking down at the massive man tied up at their feet. Whatever an offensive tackle was Arthur hoped he never met one.

"We can drag him a little bit into the woods" he suggested leaning down and grabbing one of the men's arms. Cassie gave him a look, huffed out a breath and picked up the other one. It took them a little while but the two finally managed to drag him a few meters into the forest before dropping him.

"Now stand back while I ask him questions" Arthur instructed as the man began to stir. Cassie raised her eyebrows but kept behind him as Arthur stood over the man, sword at his throat.

At the cool touch of the metal to his neck, the man startled awake, freezing when he saw the blonde man standing above him "Wh-what do you want?" he stuttered his eyes wide and full of terror.

"Yesterday you attacked a hunting party from Camelot" Arthur started, ice in his tone "You kidnapped a boy and left him with a witch, tell me where I can find her" he demanded.

Even Cassie was a little impressed with his methods of intimidation. The man on the ground trembled "I don't know nothin'!" he cried "I didn't take the boy!"

Arthur clearly didn't buy this and pressed his sword closer to the man's neck. The man whimpered and kept up his claims that he didn't know anything. Arthur was quickly losing patience and Cassie knew if she didn't step in soon they would have to knock out and tie up another bandit.

"Arthur" she said quietly, stepping forward and placing a hand on his arm. He looked up and met her eyes. She gently pushed back on this arm and though he frowned he stepped back. The man on the ground visibly relaxed and Cassie sat down next to him crossing her legs under her.

"See my friend, you and I have a problem" she started calmly "I really like these pants, and since you won't tell my friend here the answers to his questions I have to sit and get them all dirty" she told him. The man just stared up at her so she continued "So we know you know where to find this witch and we really need you to tell us" she said her voice kind and soothing.

"She said if we ever went back she'd kill us" the man said quickly, still looking absolutely terrified.

"That's okay" Cassie assured him "We're going there and you aren't, now just tell me where she is" she asked.

The man looked slightly relieved but not by much "In a cave, about a mile east from here" he said glancing in the direction Cassie assumed was east.

"Thank you so much, you've been very helpful" she said patting his shoulder and standing up "Well off we go" she said to Arthur who was staring at her with badly disguised respect.

"What about me?" the man asked from the ground. Cassie turned to him "Make a noise before dawn and I can personally guarantee you, you will regret it for the rest of your short life" she snapped and turned to lead the way back to the horses.

"That was impressive" Arthur admitted as they reached where they had left the animals. "You were kind to him and he told you what you wanted to know" he said, sounding amazed that it had worked.

Cassie laughed "You were very important to that though" she told him "Theodore Roosevelt once said 'Speak softly but carry a big stick' You're my big stick" she grinned.

Arthur stared at her thinking it over and nodded, then he frowned "Who is Theodore Roosevelt?" he asked.

Cassie sighed "No one important" she lied and pulled herself onto her horse and settled in for the ride.

**XXX**

Merlin leaned against the cool wall of the cave, exhausted. After a full twenty four hours without water he had finally given in to Vivianne's demands and began to teach her magic. They had started with basic things like moving objects but now she wanted to know more complicated things and using so much magic was taking a toll on him.

Vivianne already had a basic understanding of a few spells, like the one she had used to knock him out but not enough to truly use her magic to its full potential.

"Arthur where are you?" he muttered wondering for the hundredth time is the prince was really going to come save him. But he knew Arthur, he would try at least, Arthur wasn't a man to let someone die without trying to save them.

Merlin didn't know if he was going to die but once Vivianne had learned all she could from him there was nothing that would stop her from killing him. What he was confused about was why she wanted him, sure he was called Emrys by the Druids but his magic was very basic and weak, there wasn't very much he could really teach her.

"Emrys! I brought water!" Vivianne sang as she strode back into the cave with a bucket full of it.

Merlin nodded "Bring it here" he said, his throat had dried out once again and he was dying for some water.

"No" she said, stopping a few meters in front of him "You bring it to yourself" she commanded. Merlin sighed, he was hesitant to show her more magic, she could already do so much and it was going to be a problem.

Merlin sighed and was about to mutter the incantation when he saw a movement in the bushes along the edge of the cave. He turned his eyes towards it and saw the flash of metal that could only be a sword.

Someone was finally there to rescue him. He looked back at Vivianne "I can't I need something to drink" he rasped out.

She pouted like a child and stepped back "No, you will bring it to yourself" she said holding the bucket out in front of her.

Merlin resisted the urge to scream, someone was in the bushes and he would bet anything that it was Arthur, that meant he couldn't use his magic and that if Vivianne said anything he was in serious trouble. His tired mind raced for a solution and finally he closed his eyes and pretended to pass out.

Vivianne dropped the bucket and walked over to him, she kicked him hard in the side and he had to bite his tongue in order to not cry out.

Then he heard "Why you little bitch!" in a voice that certainly wasn't Arthurs. He cracked his eye open a tiny bit and almost passed out for real when he saw Cassie standing in the mouth of the cave in pants and a tunic, glaring at Vivianne.

The witch turned and glared at the much smaller girl "Who are you?" she asked her hands on her hips. Merlin could see a dagger glinting in her belt and his eyes widened. Cassie couldn't see the thing and Vivianne was in a perfect position to grab it and stab her.

"Who I am is none of your damn business, why you have my friend is my business, so hand him over" she said sternly but calmly. Arthur then came into view from the woods, holding his sword. He saw Merlin and visibly relaxed, tensing again when he saw the standoff between Cassie and Vivianne.

"I won't" Vivianne stated simply. Cassie glared at her with an intensity that made even Merlin shrink back, and stepped up so she was only a few feet away from the witch.

"Oh really?" she asked menacingly. Vivianne's hand closed around the hilt of the knife and she began to draw it out or her belt.

"The knife!" Merlin shouted from his position on the floor. Time seemed to slow as Vivianne froze in surprise and Cassie's hand went to the sword sheathed in her belt, but she was going to be too slow. Arthur dove forward grabbing Cassie around the arm, tugging her out of the way and stabbing his sword through Vivianne just as she brought the knife down.

Vivianne gasped as Arthur pulled the sword back out and then collapsed on the floor, dead. Her knife had nicked the prince's arm and blood began to slowly stain the arm of his shirt.

Cassie regained her senses after a few seconds and turned to Arthur "Thank you" she said placing a hand on the arm that still held her away from Viviannes lifeless body.

"You're welcome" he said smiling "Big stick, right?" he took his hand off her arm. Cassie laughed and nodded then the two turned to Merlin.

"You're okay!" Cassie exclaimed darting over to him and getting down on her knees to wrap him in a hug. He hesitantly put his arms around her and patted her shoulder awkwardly.

Arthur raised his eyebrows at him slightly confused. Merlin shrugged discreetly and shook his head to indicate that he didn't know why the princess was so affectionate either.

Cassie finally let him go and held him at arms length to look him over "What did that bitch do to you?" she asked, completely serious despite her rude words.

"Nothing" Merlin lied, trying to think of some kind of cover story "She-she thought I was someone else" he said shrugging.

"So she kidnapped you" Arthur nodded "This is why magic isn't allowed in Camelot" he said glaring at the body of the witch.

Merlin and Cassie both frowned as the small girl helped him up "C'mon lets head back now, we'll get you some water and some sleep" she said. Merlin sighed, happy his ordeal was over.

Arthur and Cassie left Merlin lying against a tree where the patrols were bound to find him and snuck back into the castle as quietly as possible in the middle of the night. Merlin was brought in not an hour later and sent up to Gaius to be healed.

Back in Camelot, Uther was not happy that his son and the Lady Cassandra had been missing. The two entered the throne room, Arthur looking like he was expecting a lecture. Cassie wasn't worried, Uther liked her and she was very good at getting herself out of trouble.

Uther stood, his hands on his hips facing the two. Morgana and Gwen stood to the side both looking nervous as Arthur was. "Can the two of you explain to me where you were for the past two days?" Uther asked, anger boiling behind his eyes.

"I'm sorry father…" Arthur started but Cassie cut him off "I am terribly sorry Uther, I thought I had mentioned it to Morgana, I guess it slipped my mind. Arthur wanted to take me riding to show me some more of Camelot and help improve my riding, I'm not very good at it" she lied smoothly, letting her charm work on the king, who had calmed considerably "We just went out very early in the mornings and got back rather late" she said shooting a smile over at Arthur, who was staring at her, half impressed, half amazed.

Uther smiled like he knew a secret at the two young people in front of him "You should have taken a guard with you" he reprimanded, though his smile nullified it.

Arthur was smiling as well "Next time we will, I'm sorry father" he said and bowed slightly. Uther dismissed them and they left, Cassie itching to go check on Merlin who was recovering from serious dehydration in Gaius's chamber.

Arthur turned to her laughing just a little "You know my father thinks I fancy you now" he said.

Cassie laughed out loud, tilting her head back as she did "Wait legit?" she asked. The look Arthur gave her reminded her that 'legit' wasn't a term in sixth century Camelot. "Does he really?" she re-phrased, still laughing.

Arthur nodded, his smile just a bit forced, his ego was slightly bruised that she found his affections so comical… Not that he had affections for her.

"I'm going to go check on Merlin" she said, still smiling and then danced off towards the stairs leaving Arthur to stare after her.


	10. Chapter 10: No Kid, Not Tonight

**A/N:** Since I didn't translate in the last chapter '_Caballo estupido_" means: Stupid horse.

So now that's out of the way, here's the next chapter! It's much more dramatic and exciting at the end. This one was really tough for me to write so lemme know how you like it kay?

**XXX**

"And if your heart wears thin, I will hold you up and I will hide you when its gets too much" Cassie sang a song she was toying with for the new record under her breath as she walked through the castle.

Sunlight flooded through the windows, pooling on the floor in golden patches on the stone. It was a gorgeous day outside and she was headed for a walk through the grounds.

Cassie rounded a corner, still singing softly and bumped right into Gwen, making her drop the pile of laundry she was holding.

"Sorry my lady!" Gwen gasped and dropped to her knees to pick up the laundry.

"Oh, my bad, sorry Gwen!" Cassie groaned at the same time and joined her on the floor to help gather up the spilled clothes.

Gwen gave the fake princess a strange look, royalty never got on their knees to help servants, but here she was, crawling on the floor to help her pick everything up.

Cassie stood, holding a hand out to the other girl to help her up. Again Gwen stared at her in surprise but took the outstretched hand. Cassie smiled at her "Sorry bout that, I was on my way out for a walk, I wasn't looking where I was going. It's such a beautiful day out" she said.

Gwen smiled back "Indeed it is my lady" she said politely. She liked Lady Cassandra, mostly because she treated Gwen as an equal but there was something about her fiery personality that drew the serving girl to her new friend as well. The princess was daring and funny and ignored propriety completely but she was sweet and very kind to everyone, including servants. Gwen shook her head to clear it, curtseyed to Cassie and continued on her way.

Cassie just stared after her, her mouth twisted into a sort of half frown. She sighed and continued walking. Once outside she began to walk around the grounds. The castle was huge and gorgeous and the grounds well kept. She truly enjoyed walking around there and the late fall weather was just perfect, not too hot, not too cold. She topped upon reaching the training ground to observe Arthur and his knights as they went through their exercises.

She watched as two of the knights sparred while Arthur stood to the side with Merlin, hands on his hips, watching. She itched to join them, one of them had the most atrocious footwork and she knew for a fact that she could do better.

As she thought this Arthur stepped forward and stopped the fight, "Sir Andrew, your footwork needs major work, you must step like this and then back like this" he said demonstrating the proper footwork in slow motion to the man who watched and tried it himself. Cassie smiled, Arthur was a good teacher and he knew how to lead his men.

Merlin then spotted her and waved enthusiastically. She smiled and waved back, walking over to join him where he stood on the side of the training ground. "Looks like fun huh?" she said looking wistfully at the knights.

Merlin looked at her like she was insane "Fun? No, painful maybe, but not fun" he said making a face as one knight brought the hilt of his sword down hard against the others shoulder.

Cassie laughed, a light airy sound that caught the attention of every male in the vicinity, including Arthur. He had to admit, Cassie was very pretty, beautiful even, despite her being completely unconventional and infuriating. But he could understand why she was such a distraction to all his knights. He made his way over to the princess and his servant. "Lady Cassandra" he bowed his head politely.

She smiled back "My lord" she said sinking ever so slightly in recognition of his title. He was impressed and grateful that she remembered propriety in front of his men. Any sign of disrespect on the princess's part could really embarrass him in front of the men he was supposed to be leading.

"You know, you are a bit of a distraction to my men" he said, letting a smile creep onto his face as he glanced back at his knights who were trying to be discreet about staring at her and failing miserably.

She laughed again "So I am, would you like me to leave?" she asked, all politeness but mischief glowed in her eyes.

Arthur narrowed his eyes at her, the smile still on his face "No, stay, this might be entertaining" he said and watched as her smile grew wider.

"Oh, this will definitely be entertaining" she said and proceeded to flounce over to one of the knights standing off to the side and introduce herself.

Merlin snickered as the knight leaned down to kiss her hand and introduced himself politely. "She's a strange one isn't she?" Arthur asked, unable to keep from smiling at the annoying little princess's charm.

"Very strange sire" Merlin agreed, still smiling.

"Alright men! Lets get another spar in here, who wants to fight me?" he asked, telling himself he did not want to show off in front of Cassie. The nickname for her now came easily to him and he almost had to remind himself to call her Lady Cassandra in public.

"I will" Sir Leon, a good friend of his fro a long time, stepped forward and drew his sword. Arthur was pretty sure all the other knights at the training grounds were itching to show off in front of Cassie, Sir Leon, undoubtedly among them.

The two lined up, ready to fight and Cassie leaned against a table covered in weapons, arms crossed in front of her, watching skeptically. She was probably a better swordswoman than half the men there and would not be easily impressed by their attempts.

Arthur made the first move, jabbing his sword forward in a bold attack right at Sir Leon's chest. Leon parried the blow and struck out on his own at the prince. Arthur blocked it, shoving the other mans sword out of the way before dancing around him to strike another blow. The two continued, matching each other blow for blow, dancing around in a circle. Arthur got in a lucky shot and was able to send Leon's sword flying from his hand, the prince pointed his sword at the chest of the taller man, a grin on his face and his blue eyes glowing. Leon nodded his head in acknowledgement of his defeat and stepped back.

Cassie applauded, as was proper and smiled at the two "Very well done boys" she said, sounding to her own ears like a proud teacher congratulating her young students.

Arthur nodded his head at her, trying not to show how pleased he was at proving to her what a great fighter he was. Two other knights fought, both showing off more than necessary as Cassie stood to the side to watch with a critical eye. Finally she decided to continue her walk and bid the knights farewell.

**XXX**

Later that night Cassie sat on one of the balconies with her guitar, still working on the song from that morning. She changed the chord progression for the millionth time and sang over the first verse again "When your tears are spent on your last pretense and your tired eyes refuse to close and sleep in your defense" her voice floated out over the cool air and being so high up made her feel like she was on top of the world. It was peaceful. "And when it's in your spine, like you've walked for miles and the only thing you want is just to be still for a while" she stopped playing to switch the chord progression again when she felt a presence behind her. Cassie turned to see Merlin in the archway that led out to the balcony, twisting his hands the way he always did when he was nervous. She smiled "Hey, come sit" she said, patting the low stone bench she was sitting on.

He smiled too, his usual slightly goofy smile and sat next to her "That was good, that last bit" he commented.

She laughed "Something about the chord progression though, its bothering me" she said her fingers unconsciously dancing across the neck of the guitar in the pattern she currently had for the song.

Merlin smiled encouragingly "Well you'll get it eventually" he said happily. Cassie rolled her eyes but allowed a small smile to play across her lips. Merlin was always so positive.

"Oh that reminds me, Arthur wants to see you in his chambers. He said something about his father and horse riding..?" Merlin gave her a questioning look as he said the last part and Cassie laughed again.

"Uther thinks Arthur and I are into each other or something because I covered for us when we went out to find you" she explained to him. He raised his eyebrows and she shoved him lightly and got up. "You can take my guitar back to my chambers and if you injure it, you will have me to answer to" she said to him, putting on her strictest face "And I am ten times as scary as Arthur will ever be" she handed him the instrument, which he took, holding it with the utmost care. Cassie let out a tiny laugh and then walked with him back towards Arthur's chambers.

Merlin left for her chambers and Cassie climbed the stairs to Arthur's floor. She knocked gently on the large wooden doors and after a second heard "Enter!" from behind them. She pushed open the doors easily and stepped in, closing them behind her.

Arthur sat at the large table in his room, facing her, his things from dinner still out in front of him. The sight of the empty plate reminded Cassie that she hadn't eaten since lunch and her stomach growled.

He looked up as she entered and smiled a little uncomfortably "Ah, Lady Cassandra" he said standing up.

Cassie sighed and placed her hands on her hips, leaning all her weight on one leg and glaring at him expectantly. At his confused look she let out another sigh "Really, is Cassie that hard to remember?" she asked.

Arthur pressed his lips together "My apologies, Cassie" he said and pulled out a chair "If you'll take a seat?" he offered.

Cassie rolled her eyes but sat, it looked like the prince was determined to be proper tonight. She watched as Arthur began to pace slowly around the table, hands clasped behind his back, clearly thinking very hard about something. "Merlin said you wanted to speak to me? Something about your father?" she prompted, looking at him expectantly.

He sighed and stopped in front of her "Yes, I did" he said simply and then sighed heavily. Cassie raised a delicate eyebrow and folded her arms across her chest. He caught her expectant glare and huffed "It's a complicated situation" he defended.

Cassie sighed "Look Arthur, just tell me, so I can help fix it" she said soothingly.

He sighed again "Well you see my father came to me today to ask exactly how close we have become" he started, then frowned at Cassie's mischievous smile but continued "He wanted to know if I had a serious interest in courting you…"

Here Cassie laughed out loud and Arthur glared at her, was the idea that he would court her so ludicrous to her? Cassie on the other hand found this all incredibly amusing, Arthur was, well _Arthur_ and there was no way he could actually be interested in making them more than friends… was there?

She immediately pushed the thought from her head but it kept circling back to plague her subconscious. What if he actually cared for her, was it that difficult to believe? He had saved her life twice after all and though he wasn't always good at it he did try his hardest to be polite to her.

No, it was insane there was no way he could be interested in her like that. "Well what'd you tell him?" she asked finally.

Arthur was still frowning but he answered her "Well I told him that I didn't know you well enough yet" he said, still pacing.

Cassie nodded "Good, cover all bases" she said, he gave her a look. She sighed, there was so much she had to teach these people about sports. "That was a good idea" she re-phrased.

Arthur nodded, looking thoughtful for a second "Things where you come from are very different aren't they?" he asked, his blue eyes sympathetic.

"Oh you have no idea" she muttered darkly.

Arthur was debating trying to comfort her when the door burst open and Merlin bounded in. He looked between the two of them, confused "Am I interrupting something?" he asked uncomfortably.

Cassie smiled and opened her mouth to tell him he wasn't when Arthur spoke first "Yes, Merlin, as usual your timing is terrible, go, fetch me…" he trailed off trying to think of a chore for his servant to do "Oh just go do something!" he snapped.

Merlin shot a warning look at Cassie and exited silently. Cassie knew that his look warned her not to get on Arthurs case but she wasn't going to let him get away with treating Merlin like a slave.

"You just don't get it do you?" she asked angrily standing up. Arthur looked at her, surprised. She continued "You can't just treat him like crap! He's saved your life more times than you know and you have absolutely no respect for him. The poor kid tries! You can't just yell at him like the worlds his fault!" she ranted.

Arthurs face hardened "Lady Cassandra, Merlin is my servant. You and I are royalty and we have to order our servants around. It's how things work" he said, his words polite but he was livid. This tiny strange princess was challenging him again and he was sick of it.

"So? Fuck how things work!" she snapped back standing up "Morgana treats Gwen like a sister and I treat her and Merlin like the friends they are. Why is that so hard for you to get?" she shouted.

Arthur stepped closer to her "I am the crown prince of Camelot, I can treat my help however I see fit" he retorted, his eyes burning with anger.

Cassie knew, somewhere deep in the back of her mind that this was where she should stop. Arthur was really ticked and very close to her and much, much bigger than her. But her mouth just kept going "I swear to god, sometimes I just want to punch you off that high horse of yours so you can realize you're not as incredible as you think you are!"

Arthur laughed at this, a harsh, humorless sound "As if you could even injure me if you wanted to" he rolled his eyes.

And then she hit him. Not one of those feminine little slaps across the face. A nice, solid, all-her-weight-behind-it punch square in his jaw.

Arthur took a step back, more in surprise than anything but after a second regained his senses. He grabbed her tiny wrist, the one she had used to punch him which still hung slightly in the air.

"Let go of me you prick!" she shouted bringing up her other hand to push him away from her. He grabbed that one too.

"You know you are the most infuriating girl I have ever met?" he said, his face very close to hers and Cassie felt almost scared. Arthur was a lot bigger than her and a lot stronger and if he really wanted to he could do some damage.

"And you are the most pretentious ass hole I've ever met!" she snapped back, still furious with him. "I cannot even believe…" she started but then he cut her off.

He leaned forward, closing the small distance between them and pressed his lips to hers.

For a second she froze, and for a second she felt it. Not the fireworks people talk about in romance novels but something. Something between them that almost made her want to just sit there and kiss him.

Almost. After the brief second where she was caught by surprise she picked up her foot and brought the heel of her combat boot down hard on his toes.

Arthur let go of her with a yelp and she shoved him away from her, using his momentary distraction to run out the doors slamming them behind her.

Merlin who was on his way back to the prince's chamber to get his dinner things form where they still sat on the table looked after her confused as she stomped down the hallway muttering to herself in Spanish under her breath.

He shook his head wondering what Arthur had done now and entered the room to see the prince sitting in a chair, one foot up on it, rubbing his toes. Merlin's expression said it all as Arthur turned to look at him. "Don't. Say. Anything" he growled and Merlin bit his lip to keep form laughing at the annoyed expression on the prince's face.

"May I ask what you did sire, to get the princess so upset?" he asked as he cleared the plates from Arthur's dinner.

"I kissed her" Arthur grumbled still nursing his injured toe. Merlin dropped a plate, causing it to clang loudly on the wooden table. He turned to the prince, his eyes wide "You did what sire?" he asked unable to stop himself from being rude.

"I kissed her Merlin, it's not such a strange concept!" he snapped and slid his foot down to the floor.

"I know Arthur, but that wasn't a good idea" Merlin shook his head thinking of how Cassie must have reacted. He bet she was furious.

"Well I know that Merlin" Arthur snapped and pulled off his other boot "I'm going to bed" he said tiredly.

Merlin helped him ready for bed and then snuffed out all the candles. He was almost out the door when he stopped to finally ask the question that had been on his mind since Arthur told him what happened with Cassie "Sire?" he asked and got an annoyed grunt in return but asked anyway "Did she kiss back?"

There was silence and Merlin assumed Arthur was either not going to answer or throw something at him. He turned to leave again when Arthur finally answered "For a second, she did" he said, his voice sounding almost upset. But then he coughed "Get out Merlin" he snapped and for once Merlin listened without argument.

**XXX**

Cassie lay awake, staring at the gold canopy above her in the darkness. The moon was shining right through her window into her eyes and she couldn't sleep. It didn't help that her brain was still racing and refused to shut up.

Arthur had kissed her, where the hell had that come from? They had been screaming at each other one minute and the next they were kissing.

Well she had punched him somewhere in there too. It had been a decent punch, not one of her best but it did its job. She only hoped his face hurt as much as her hand did.

Cassie rolled over, facing away from the moon but it lit up her room like a fluorescent bulb. How did these people sleep through this?

Then there had been that annoying feeling, the one that threw her off. She had felt something and that something was not going away. It was sitting in the pit of her stomach eating at her until she acknowledged it.

When he'd kissed her there had been a feeling like it was right, not like she was kissing some prick of a guy who pissed her off. Cassie didn't believe in all those revelations of love from a first kiss. She thought it was bull, cooked up by novelists and idealists to make falling in love sound cooler. But this hadn't been like that. This had nudged her like it was the beginning of something. Cassie sure as hell hoped not. Arthur annoyed her to no end some days and she wasn't even supposed to be here. Alex had never told her what she was supposed to do to change history but she was pretty sure stealing Arthur from Guinevere was not it.

After a few hours Cassie drifted off to sleep. She hadn't had many nightmares since she came to Camelot but the nightmare she had that night was the worst.

It was the same one she had the night before coming to Camelot, but now she recognized the people in it. Morgana was with her as they hurried down the dark corridors of the castle shouting out a name that her subconscious just couldn't grasp. They turned a corner and ran into Merlin who shook his head, his palms spread open in front of him, showing he hadn't found who they were looking for either. They continued searching, calling out the same name when the warning bells began to toll and the three looked at each other, terror in their eyes. Then someone screamed and Cassie woke up, sitting straight up, panting.

Dawn was just breaking and the thin sunlight filled her room. She took a minute to calm her breathing. She remembered that nightmare. It was the same as the other time, but that was before she knew Merlin and Morgana and the corridors of Camelot.

She shook her head, she was being paranoid, maybe Alex was sending her that dream the way he had shown up in her dreams. No that was crazier. She sighed, it was just her overactive imagination and too much stress. She lay back down into the pillows and closed her eyes, within minutes falling into a much more peaceful dreamless sleep.

Song:

Beside You- Marianas Trench


	11. Chapter 11: Suspicion and Proof

**A/N:** You guys were getting so good at reviews! I might have to start threatening to not update anymore if you guys don't tell me what you like! I have a lot of ideas for this story but a lot of them are conflicting. So I may start asking you guys questions about what you wanna see. And feel free to tell me even if I don't ask.

Okay I'll stop whining now :)

**XXX**

"What's going on?" Cassie hissed to Merlin, catching up to him as he hurried through the unusually crowded corridors of Camelot.

"Uther's throwing a huge celebration because it's been a quarter of a century since he took over Camelot" he whispered back and continued along with the set of blankets he had for some of the colder rooms in the castle.

"Sounds like fun" Cassie said, the sarcasm heavy in her voice.

Merlin nodded "It just means more work for us servants" he said, tripping slightly and nearly dropping the pile of blankets he was holding.

Cassie rolled her eyes "Here, let me help you with that" she said and took some of the blankets off the pile. Merlin tried to protest but silenced at the look she gave him and continued along the hallway.

Some of the other servants bustling around gave Cassie strange looks but they were mostly used to her kind ways and all of them liked her for them.

As Cassie and Merlin neared one of the guest chambers Uther came round the corner and started, seeing his guest helping out the servants "Lady Cassandra! There's no need for you to be doing chores and carrying things around like this!" he said taking the blankets from her and replacing them on the already teetering pile in Merlin's arms.

Merlin made a face at her and continued on his way to avoid Uther deciding it was his fault and putting him in the stocks.

Cassie smiled at the King "Really I didn't mind! I know it's an important time for Camelot and I figured I would do all I can to help out" she said.

Uther waved away her words "Lady Cassandra I wanted to ask you if at the banquet tomorrow night you would sing for us?" he asked.

"Of course! I would be honored to perform tomorrow night" she lied, giving him her best princess smile.

"Wonderful!" Uther said and held out his arm for her, to continue walking. She took it and allowed him to lead her along towards the throne room. "You know I took over this kingdom when I was Arthur's age" he informed her.

"That is a very impressive feat my lord" she said nodding as they strode along.

Uther smiled "I take much pride in it. I also take much pride in uniting this land and making Camelot one of the strongest kingdoms there is" he continued and Cassie simply nodded to show her assent. "To someone foreign Camelot might seem very different but I truly hope you have found your stay here pleasing" he said looking down at the fake princess.

Cassie nodded "Camelot is indeed very different but I love it here. It's a nice change and a beautiful kingdom" she told him honestly. Cassie really did like Camelot, yes, it lacked certain conveniences like internet and indoor plumbing but it was truly the kingdom of legend.

"I am so glad you like it, Lady Cassandra and know that you are welcome to stay here as long as you need to" he said kindly. Cassie smiled at him in thanks. "Ah my apologies my Lady, but I must go, the guests are beginning to arrive and I must be there to meet them" he said as they came to a stop in front of the doors to Morgana's chambers.

"It's not a problem, I think I'll pay Morgana a visit" Cassie said, no doubt her and Morgana spending time together was Uther's intention. He smiled, confirming that fact and hurried along towards the exit.

Cassie sighed and knocked on Morgana's door. "Come in!" she heard from the other side and opened the door. At first she thought there was no one in the suite and was about to call herself crazy when she heard Morgana's voice from over by the window "Cassie!" she cried and made her way over to where her friend stood.

"Hey, what's going on?" she asked seeing Gwen still in a chair by the window, another chair, Morgana had just vacated, next to it.

"The lords, ladies and knights of Camelot are arriving!" Morgana gushed, taking Cassie's hand and dragging her towards the window. Looking out it, Cassie could see Uther standing on the steps to the palace with Arthur by his side. Merlin stood just behind the prince looking bored out of his mind and Cassie smiled.

Through the gates to the courtyard rode a man and a woman followed by several knights. They dismounted and the king greeted the woman kindly, she introduced the man who bowed low to the king and prince. He looked different than most people Cassie had seen in Camelot, more…sly. But as Morgana continued on about the state of the lady's gown Cassie pushed that thought to the back of her head.

**XXX**

Merlin stood next to Arthur, bored out of his mind. Lords, ladies and knights had been showing up all day. Uther greeted all of the kindly and sent them into the palace, with servants to guide them to their respective chambers. All the rooms in Camelot would be filled at this rate and Merlin was not excited about all the extra work he would have to do.

Arthur looked almost as bored as he was, occasionally greeting the few courtiers he knew. When the knights arrived Arthur greeted them with smiles and jokes but the ladies and lords tended to bore him.

A man and a woman rode into the courtyard, trailed by several knights on horses. The two dismounted, followed by their knights and Uther stepped forward to greet the woman.

She was probably in her mid forties, by no means young but probably younger than Uther. She was clearly a Lady, and a rich one at that. "Uther!" she cried happily, a smile spreading across her round face.

"Lady Amelia" Uther said smiling as well and walking to meet her, Arthur and Merlin following dutifully.

"My how long has it been?" Lady Amelia asked, embracing Uther lightly. The man with her stood just behind her, but not in the way a servant would. More like he was waiting for her to finish her reunion so he could be introduced.

"Many, many years my Lady" Uther said "I was terribly sorry to hear of your late husbands death" he told her sincerely.

Lady Amelia frowned "Yes, it was rather sad" she said, her eyes looking almost confused for a second. Then she looked back at the man behind her and the smile returned to her features "But I am sad no more, for I have found Lord Edmund Garrow!" she gestured to the man behind her who stepped forward at his name.

"My lord" the man said and bowed deeply. He was younger than Amelia but still had gray shot through his slicked back hair and well trimmed beard. When he straightened up he smiled at the king. Merlin felt an uneasy feeling growing at the pit of his stomach. He didn't like this man's smile, it was too…sly.

"Lord Edmund" Uther nodded his head at the man politely "I trust you and Lady Amelia will find your stay in Camelot most satisfying" he said.

Lord Edmund smiled his sly smile again "I am sure it will be" he said and held out his arm to Lady Amelia. The two ascended the steps followed closely by their small troupe of knights.

Merlin frowned, something about Sir Thomas that bothered him, but he quickly forgot about it when he was two beautiful young women ride in.

The arrivals continued and by lunchtime Merlin's feet felt like lead and his legs felt like jelly.

**XXX**

"Ohhh" he groaned, easing himself into one of the chairs in Arthur's chambers after he'd brought him his lunch. The prince raised his eyebrows at him. "I haven't sat in what feels like a week!" the young warlock defended.

Arthur rolled his eyes "This is a very important time for my father" he said, Merlin could feel a lecture coming on but kept his mouth shut. Arthur continued "Lazyness will not be tolerated, these guests are to receive your best services" he said, sounding like the king he would one day be.

Merlin sighed and got up "I'll sleep when I'm dead then" he muttered then walked to the door. Seconds after entering the crowded hallway, Gaius found him and began toting him towards his chambers, going on about all the medicine that needed to be delivered.

"Take this to Sir Marcus, for his back pain. And this goes to Lady Elizabeth, she has a dreadful cold. Take this sleeping draft to Lady Morgana and this one to Lady Amelia, Don't get them mixed up!" Gaius warned, handing him the little bottles of potions.

Merlin groaned and wandered off to find Sir Marcus. The knight was huge but incredibly polite and thanked Merlin graciously for the tonic.

Next he went to find Morgana. He knocked on her door and heard Cassie's voice call for him to enter. He did and saw the two girls sitting in chairs staring out the window. "Merlin!" Mrogana said happily when she saw him .

Merlin felt himself blush and hurriedly looked down "Gaius sent me with your sleeping draft" he said holding it out to her then, realizing it was probably rude to make her get up, walked over to where she sat next to her vanity and placed the vial on it.

Morgana beamed at him "Thank you Merlin" she said.

He nodded mutely and then let his curiosity get the better of him "What are you two doing?" he asked.

Cassie laughed "Morgana's showing me who's who so I'm not so lost tomorrow night at the banquet" she said.

"And she's going to sing tomorrow night" Morgana informed him proudly. Cassie rolled her eyes and returned to staring out the window.

Morgana looked at Merlin and rolled her eyes at her unenthusiastic friend. Merlin smiled in agreement and Morgana turned back towards the window "Oh Cassie! That's Sir Peter!" she gasped pointing towards a rather good looking knight who had just ridden through the gates o the courtyard. Cassie tilted her head to the side and studied the man and Merlin took this as his cue to leave.

Lady Elizabeth turned out to be a nasty old hag who perpetually had a dreadful cold and snapped at him when Merlin delivered her potion.

He then made his way to Lady Amelia and her new husband's room. It was a few down from Cassie's and he smiled as he passed the room he had been to so many times in the past weeks. He reached the door to Lady Amelia's room, knocked and entered.

That turned out to be a bad idea; Lady Amelia was no where in sight but Lord Edmund was there. He had been standing over a large old book that lay open on the table and next to it lay a little wood carving of a creature. At least that's what Merlin thought it was because the second he entered Lord Edmund pulled his discarded cloak over it. He whirled and glared at Merlin "What do you want?" he snapped.

"I..uh…I wanted to… uh…deliver Lady Amelia's sleeping draft" Merlin stuttered out.

Lord Edmund eased his glare slightly "Put it over there and then be on your way" he ordered pointing at the bedside table.

Merlin did as he was told and on his way back towards the door his eyes landed on the large book Lord Edmund had out on the desk. It was a book of magic. It wasn't one Merlin had ever seen before but it was definitely magic. When he saw it his step faltered for a second then he looked up at Lord Edmund who was watching him carefully and kept walking.

Once he got out of the mans chambers he sprinted to Gaius to tell him about Lord Edmund practicing magic. But Gaius was swamped. There were fifteen or so servants crowded into Gaius's chambers all asking him for medicine for some lord, lady or knight and the poor old man was beside himself trying to get everything together.

"Whoa, I picked a bad time to come in" he heard Cassie speak from behind him. He turned and there she was standing in the doorway, hands on her hips and looking skeptically at the crowd in Gaius's room.

"Cassie! I have to tell you something, come here" Merlin said realizing Cassie could help him. She had helped before when magic was being used against Camelot and she didn't mind him using magic to save Camelot as much as Gaius did.

"Yeah, sure, what's up?" she asked.

Merlin had to remind himself to not look at the ceiling "Not here" he said and led her up towards his room.

Once inside Cassie placed her hands on her hips again "Okay now can you tell me what this big secret is?" she asked, slightly annoyed.

"Lord Edmund is using magic" he blurted out, then backtracked "You know Lady Amelia's new husband? Well when I was delivering her sleeping draft I saw he had a book of magic open on the desk" he told her.

Cassie made a face for a second as she thought "Okay, so he knows magic but that doesn't mean he's evil" she said after a second "I mean look at you Merlin, you use magic all the time but it's for good, maybe Lord Edmund is the same" she reasoned.

Merlin frowned, Lord Edmund didn't seem like the kind of good warlock Gaius had told him about but maybe she was right.

Cassie, sensing his indecision added "It doesn't mean he is necessarily, and we should definitely keep an eye on him but it's probably not a good idea to jump to conclusions.

Merlin nodded, of course she was right, he was just being paranoid. "Yeah, thanks Cass" he said smiling at her.

"Good, we got that settled, so I can go back to Gaius now?" she asked stepping towards the door.

He nodded again and made to open it for her "Why were you coming to see Gaius anyway?" he asked, simply out of curiosity.

She descended the steps talking to him over her shoulder "I keep having these dreams and I can't sleep after I wake up from them. The moon always in my window doesn't help either, have you people ever heard of curtains?" she stepped around the crowd in the room, which had grown during the short time they were upstairs.

Merlin frowned, Morgana had a similar problem with nightmares and she was a seer, he wondered if Cassie was one too. But no that couldn't be, Cassie was from the future, a time where, as she told him, magic didn't exist anymore. But he had to ask anyway "Cassie, what are the nightmares about?".

She looked at him, her brow furrowed, "How did you know they were nightmares?" she asked, her eyes full of surprise and suspicion.

Merlin made a face, he didn't mean to let the nightmare part slip "It's just Morgana gets a sleeping draft from Gaius because she has nightmares" he explained to her.

Cassie nodded slowly "Oh, sorry, they just freak me out" she said shuddering slightly as she thought of them.

Merlin was about to ask her again what her nightmares entailed when Gaius caught sight of him "Merlin!" he called "I could use some help over here! Stop dilly-dallying and come mix this for me!" he commanded over the din of the annoyed servants waiting for the royal guests medicines.

He shot an apologetic look at Cassie who waved it off and pushed his way through the crowd to help Gaius.

**XXX**

Merlin stumbled out of one of the servants doors into a shaded part of the courtyard late that night. The only light came from a torch by the gates to the courtyard and the moon and Merlin could barely see in front of him. He was finally done with all his chores for the night and he wanted nothing more than to go back to his room and sleep.

He was about to step all the way into the courtyard when he saw a figure in a dark cloak coming down the main stairs to the palace.

He ducked back behind a pillar and peeked out past it. The figure stopped at the bottom of the steps and pushed back his hood. Lord Edmund muttered some words and even from where he was, Merlin could see his eyes glow gold the way all sorcerers did when they were doing magic.

The second he said the words every guard in the courtyard dropped to the ground. Merlin held back a gasp, that had to be powerful magic.

Lord Edmund slowly began to walk forward, his hands held out to either side of him, chanting a spell, loudly now that he thought no one could hear him. As he chanted his eyes glowed gold and cracking stone could be heard.

Merlin looked up, half expecting the castle to come crumbling down around him, but it held. He turned his attention back to the courtyard. Lord Edmund had stopped just shy of the center of the courtyard, his hands still raised to the sky shouting out the spell.

Then a huge stone monster leapt from the tiled roofs of the castle, down to one of the balconies and finally alighted on the flagstones of the courtyard.

It was a massive creature, with the head of a snake, the body of a panther and wings. A long barbed tail whipped around behind it. To Merlin it looked familiar for some reason though he couldn't imagine where he'd ever seen such a creature before.

When it landed Lord Edmund stopped chanting. He smiled his evil smile and stepped up to it. The creature bowed it head to him and Merlin finally recognized it as one of the stone gargoyles that decorated one of the towers in Camelot.

Lord Edmund placed a hand on its head and spoke to it too soft for Merlin to hear. He inched forward, trying to keep in the shadows and was able to catch the last few words. "…the banquet hall, tomorrow night at this time" he told it.

Merlin frowned, could the thing understand it? When the stone beast nodded he guessed so. Then with a sweep of its wings it took off, flying into the night.

Lord Edmund smiled after it for a few brief seconds then turned and walked back towards the steps.

Merlin decided to make a quick run for it, to get to the door that would lead him to Gaius's chambers. As he crept out towards the courtyard his foot hit a bucket that someone had left out. The bucket fell over with a clang of the metal handle against the stone. Merlin froze, half out of the shadows and looked towards Lord Edmund.

The man had stopped on the steps and turned around, his eyes fixed on the shadowy figure in the courtyard and without hesitation he ran at him.

Merlin turned and sprinted back in the servants door he had come out of. As he raced down the narrow hallway he heard the door bang open a second time and knew Lord Edmund was following him. He was surprisingly fast for a man of his age but Merlin knew the castle well and was able to keep ahead of him.

He flew around corners and ran as fast as his legs would go up a set of stairs and then up another. He ran to the end of the hall and found himself at a dead end, Lord Edmunds footsteps echoed in the corridor behind him and he turned and ran down another hallway.

He needed to find a place to hide and fast, he couldn't see Lord Edmund but he knew the man was close behind him.

He saw a tapestry that hung over a small corner and scurried behind it, squishing himself into the small space and holding his breath.

He heard Lord Edmund come running towards him and squeezed his eyes shut praying that the older warlock wouldn't find him.

The footsteps came closer and then continued on past his hiding spot. As they faded through the castle Merlin breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back against the wall. He was safe for now, but he could only wonder what Lord Edmund had planned.


	12. Chapter 12: Better Safe Than Sorry

**A/N:** Still looking for those reviews my lovelies.

Okay question of the day ( I'm gonna start putting these in every chapter cause it's fun!) : This isn't really a plot question but what do you guys think Cassie looks like? You can name actresses or stick in your own thoughts on her description. I'm just curious how she comes off to you guys.

Okay here's the story, it's a cliffhanger and I won't update until I get reviews.

**XXX**

"Sorry my lady!" a servant exclaimed, bowing low as he bumped into Morgana. She smiled and waved it off and continued towards Gaius's chambers.

She'd had another nightmare last night, this one of a massive creature attacking Camelot. The nightmares worried her because they seemed to happen in real life, like the one of the woman, Sophia, who nearly killed Arthur.

She didn't know how to explain this to Gaius but she trusted him with it. After all he'd known a lot about magic before the great purge, Uther consulted him about it all the time.

Morgana reached Gaius's door and pushed it open, catching Merlin mid-rant. Gaius sat at his table and Merlin paced in a small oval in front of him, "…the thing was huge Gaius! And then he told it something about the same time tomorrow…" he froze when he saw Morgana standing in the door and blushed slightly before looking down.

"Lady Morgana!" Gaius said breaking the uncomfortable silence and standing up.

Morgana smiled at him "Good morning Gaius, I hope I'm not disturbing anything" she replied politely, glancing at Merlin. The thing he said about something being huge had caught her attention. The creature in her nightmare had been massive. She shook it off, now she was being paranoid.

"Oh no, what did you need?" Gaius asked.

"It's these nightmares" Morgana said and let her eyes drift back to Merlin.

Gaius noticed her glance "Merlin go fetch me water from the well, I'll need at least two buckets" he ordered. Merlin made a face that indicated that two buckets was too much for him to carry but did as he was told.

Once he left Gaius indicated for Morgana to sit down, "Now what is the problem with your nightmares my lady?" he asked her kindly.

She sighed, she knew she was going to sound crazy but she told him anyway "They won't stop, the sleeping drafts don't help and I keep seeing things that end up happening" she said.

Gaius frowned "Tell me about this nightmare" he requested cautiously. He wasn't going to tell her she was a seer but he was interested in finding out what she saw.

"There was this terrible monster attacking Camelot during a banquet, it was awful all the people were in a panic and I have this horrible feeling about it" she told him, the hysteria in her voice growing.

"Calm down my child" Gaius soothed, patting her shoulder "Try to forget about it, everything will be fine" he assured her.

Morgana took a deep breath and composed herself "Is there anything else you can do for the nightmares?" she asked.

The old man got up nodding "Yes, I can make you a sleeping draft with calming herbs. It should make you sleep better and dispel these nightmares" he told her.

She forced a smile, knowing it probably wouldn't work "Thank you Gaius" she said. But she knew her nightmare wasn't just nothing, it was going to happen and she just had to figure out when.

She sat patiently while Gaius made her potion. Merlin came back up just as he handed it to her, his arms sagging under the weight of the large buckets.

"Took you long enough!" Gaius teased taking one of the buckets from the much younger boy.

"Too many flights of stairs" Merlin panted, flopping down in the chair Morgana had just vacated.

"Thank you again Gaius" she said, walking towards the door. "Any time my child" Gaius said, smiling at her. She smiled back and walked out the door, her steps quickening when she was sure she was out of earshot.

Morgana was going to figure out what her dreams meant and how she could stop it and she was going to go visit the one person she knew would help her.

**XXX**

"What did Morgana want?" Merlin asked, rotating his wrist to dispel the soreness.

Gaius frowned and sighed heavily as he sat down in a chair across from Merlin "She was having nightmares again" he said, "She saw a great beast attacking Camelot and she is convinced it will happen".

Merlin sat straight up "Did she say what the beast looked like?" he asked thinking of the creature he had seen last night.

Gaius shook his head "But she said it attacked during a banquet" he said, giving Merlin a meaningful look.

The boy's eyes widened "You think it's going to attack during the banquet tonight?" he asked, knowing Gaius was right,

The old man nodded "We must find out what it is and how to stop it" he said "Now tell me what you can remember about it" he instructed, pulling a book down from a shelf.

"It was a gargoyle I've seen before around the castle, and it's still made of stone" Merlin told him, picking up a book of his own and beginning to flip through it.

Gaius frowned "Then it must be some special kind of magic, not a creature" he said and put down the book he was holding to go find another one "Can you remember anything Lord Edmund said?" he asked

Merlin thought hard but it was all a blur to him. He shook his head, Gaius sighed "Then we have a lot of searching to do"

**XXX**

Cassie felt someone shaking her out of her sleep. She groaned and rolled over, away from the offending hand "_Es tan temprano, no quiero despertar_" she groaned out.

"Cassie" said a woman's voice and the shaking continued.

Cassie groaned again and buried her face into her pillow "_Dame cinco mas minutos, es mi vacacion_" she said, annoyed that her mom wouldn't leave her alone. Then she realized that it couldn't be her mom trying to wake her up because she was a couple thousand years back in time and that whoever was trying to wake her had no idea what she was saying.

She sat up "You're not my mom are you?" she said, opening her eyes to see a slightly confused, slightly panicked looking Morgana.

The other woman shook her head "No, but Cassie, I need your help" she said sitting down on the edge of the large bed Cassie had in Camelot.

Cassie rubbed her eyes and looked at her friends panicked eyes "Yeah, what's wrong Morgana?" she asked, genuinely concerned.

Morgana took a deep breath "I keep having these nightmares about terrible things happening and then they actually happen and now I'm having one and I'm positive it will happen and its horrible" she said her voice rising in panic.

Cassie took the other girl's hands, pushing thoughts of her own recurring nightmare out of her head. "Morgana, calm down, tell me what this nightmare is and I promise I'll do everything I can to make sure it doesn't happen" she soothed wondering what she was getting herself into.

Morgana told her the nightmare, the terror in her eyes unmistakable and intense. When she finished Cassie got up and began to pace "Okay, so you saw a giant monster made of stone attacking Camelot during a banquet" she said, running a hand through her hair "But you have no idea when it is?" she asked.

The other woman shook her head, the panic returning to her expression.

"That's fine" Cassie assured her "We'll just need to always be prepared" she said. She had no idea how to be prepared but it was making Morgana feel better so she was going to pretend.

"There's a banquet tonight Cassie and I'm so scared that's when it will happen" Morgana said, still sitting on Cassie's bed, wringing her hands nervously the way Merlin always did when he was anxious.

"Shit! You're right!" the fake princess groaned, remembering she promised Uther she'd perform. "Look I know we can figure something out, leave it to me" she said secretly hoping that whatever was in Morgana's nightmare attacked before she had to perform.

**XXX**

"He is using dark magic to control the creature" Gaius said, staring down at about the hundredth book they had looked at that day.

Merlin leaned towards him over his own completely useless spell book. Gaius continued "It's a spell of animation and a spell of submission" he explained "The animation spell brings an inanimate object to life, its mostly used to make objects move or have chores do themselves" he shot a look at Merlin who was no stranger to using magic to complete his chores.

The boy had the decency to blush about it and then looked at the book in front of Gaius "So what's the spell of submission?" he asked.

Gaius flipped to another page, one of the last in the book, usually reserved for very advanced, very difficult magic. "The spell of submission gives a sorcerer complete control over anyone or anything he or she has enchanted in the past. For Lord Edmund he enchanted the gargoyle to come to life and using the spell of submission he can control it to do what he wants" he explained.

Merlin looked up at him alarmed "So, Lord Edmund could potentially make the gargoyle creature attack Camelot tonight during the banquet like in Morgana's dream?" he asked, knowing the answer.

"I'm afraid so" Gaius said frowning. Merlin stood up, slamming his book closed and made for the door. "Where are you going?" Gaius asked him.

Merlin turned "To get someone to help me" he said. "Merlin you must be careful who you trust" Gaius warned.

Merlin shook his head "I'm going to ask Cassie" he said, then he turned and hurried out of the room, practically sprinting to Cassie's chambers.

He knew Cassie was the one person who could really help him. She was considered a princess and one of Uther's honored guests. And she knew he could do magic and wasn't planning on turning him in for it.

He skidded to a stop in front of her room and threw the door open, not bothering to knock. When he saw who else was in the room he wished he had.

Cassie stood in the middle of the floor in her nightgown, staring at him, her eyebrows raised. And from the bed Morgana looked at him in half panic and half confusion.

Merlin felt himself go red "Uh… sorry… I er, forgot to wake up Lady Cassandra and I thought I was running late" he lied.

Cassie raised her eyebrows further and looked like she was holding back a laugh. "I'm awake, thanks Merlin" she said, indicating with her eyes that it was not a good time.

He frowned but exited the room, stuttering apologies as he went. He had needed her help and now he didn't know if he would have time to get it.

Merlin paced around in front of her room thinking, if Cassie couldn't help him, there was only one other person who could, but they couldn't know they were helping.

**XXX**

Arthur rolled over and groaned, he knew he should be up already but he just didn't feel like it. Merlin was late anyway and he could blame his annoying servant for the fact that he had slept in.

He had been out of sorts for the past few days, partially because he was sure at least one of his toes was broken and he had a sore spot on his jaw and partially because he couldn't stop thinking about Cassie.

She hated him for sure, her punch in the face and heel on his foot had proved that much. He hadn't meant to kiss her, not really, he just let his emotions get a hold of him. He still thought she was the most annoying woman on the planet but for some reason that made him even more interested in her. He groaned again and rolled to face the door, lost in his thoughts.

Just then Merlin swung open the doors and stumbled in, tripping over his feet and nearly falling on the sword he had in his hand.

Arthur sat up lazily and raised his eyebrows "Merlin! So you finally decided to do your job and wake me up?" he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

As usual, Merlin ignored his bad mood "I was just polishing your sword for tonight" he said brightly holding up the weapon that to Arthur, did not look polished.

"I don't need my sword tonight" he said getting up and stretching "Tonight's a celebration and I'm a prince not a knight" he explained quoting his father's exact words. Uther was very set on that nights celebration being perfect and had given both Arthur and Morgana strict lectures about how to behave.

"Well if you wear your sword you'll look more like a prince" Merlin pointed out placing the sword on the table and getting clothes out of the wardrobe.

The prince rolled his eyes "Merlin my father told me not to have the sword" he said, effectively ending that discussion.

Merlin accepted defeat and briefly left to get Arthur's breakfast while he changed. Merlin tripped more than usual and didn't supply his usual pointless chatter and Arthur could tell something was bothering him.

"Alright out with it" the prince announced after a solid five minutes of silence while Merlin set about doing his chores.

"Out with what?" the boy asked absentmindedly, picking up Arthur's discarded shirt from the day before.

He gave Merlin a look "Tell me what's bothering you" he repeated. As much as he didn't like to admit it he liked Merlin and he cared the tiniest bit that he was alright.

"Nothing's bothering me" Merlin lied quickly. But as Arthur knew, he was a terrible liar. Merlin caught the look the prince was giving him and sighed "It's just something about Cassie, she's been a little out of sorts lately and I haven't gotten to talk to her to make sure she's okay yet" he told a half truth, praying it was enough the truth for Arthur to buy it.

Arthur did. He sighed "Look Merlin I know you and her have some kind of friendship but she is a princess" he pointed out. The look Merlin gave him, informed the prince that his servant knew that very well and didn't need to be reminded. He rolled his eyes "Merlin, she probably has a lot going on right now, I'm sure she's fine" he said.

Merlin rolled his eyes, clearly not ready to drop the matter and picked up the last pair of socks for the wash and left.

Arthur groaned again, he couldn't even talk to his servant anymore. He skipped the rest of his breakfast knowing it was going to be a bad day.

**XXX**

Merlin dumped Arthurs laundry in a basket and promptly forgot his chores for the rest of the day. He was on a mission.

He sneakily crept to the servants door of Lord Edmund and Lady Amelia's chambers. He knew that most of the servants would have chosen the larger corridors to go about their many chores because it provided better access to the rooms of the lords and ladies. And if Merlin got caught where he was he could say he was listening to make sure he didn't interrupt anything.

He pressed his ear to the door and heard muffled voices from behind it. He murmured a spell and the voices became louder.

"Edmund, I really do like Camelot" Lady Amelia said happily. She seemed oblivious to the fact that her husband was planning on destroying the place she had developed an attachment to.

"Yes my dear" Lord Edmund's voice said distractedly. "We should really come visit more often, remind me why you don't like it here again?" Lady Amelia asked.

"Because I don't like the city my dear" Lord Edmund answered, still sounding distracted.

"Well I think it's rather lovely here" Lady Amelia answered, her voice starting to become less soft, and more the way a Lady who had run her estate alone for ten years should sound.

"Yes my dear, now isn't it time for your nap?" the voice of Lord Edmund said and Merlin could hear the magic layered in it. He must be using the spell of submission on Lady Amelia as well. Merlin felt bad for the poor woman, she probably wasn't even in love with Lord Edmund.

His suspicions that she was being enchanted were confirmed when he heard Lord Edmund repeating words he had used the night before.

Merlin had heard all he needed to and turned to silently creep down the servants stairs. As he did one of them creaked loudly and Lord Edmund's voice stopped.

He froze, if he stayed there Lord Edmund would catch him and if he didn't he would know someone was trying to spy on him.

Merlin's thought's raced and he finally knocked on the door. It opened seconds later to reveal a very annoyed looking Lord Edmund "Yes?" he snapped, looking down his long nose at the boy suspiciously.

"I…uh….Gaius sent me" he stuttered out, Merlin had always been terrible at coming up with excuses.

Lord Edmund raised an eyebrow "And what did Gaius want?" he asked coldly, holding the door so Merlin couldn't see past him into the room.

"He, um… wanted to see if Lady Amelia needed another sleeping draft" Merlin said, the excuse coming to him at the last second.

Lord Edmund opened the door in full and stood back to show Merlin a view of the bed where Lady Amelia slept peacefully. In the brief second that he saw the table the magic book had been on yesterday, he was able to register that it was empty. Edmund was covering his tracks.

"As you can see she's sleeping just fine, so be on your way" he said and without another word slammed the door in Merlin's face.

**XXX**

At the banquet that night Cassie stood dutifully by Morgana's side as Uther introduced her as his royal guest the Princess Cassandra of Puerto Rico to all the lords, ladies and knights of Camelot. She was starting to wish she'd picked a different country to say she came from, she didn't really know much about Puerto Rico and the way everyone said it with their horribly un-Spanish accents was grating on her nerves.

Across the room Arthur was equally annoyed; with Cassie. She and Morgana had opted to wear another set of ridiculous gowns that showed off their shoulders, arms and backs and he couldn't keep his eyes off the princess. The bright red material of the dress hugged her body perfectly and she had let her long waves fall over her shoulders and frame her face.

She was stunning and the prince of Camelot was finding it hard to concentrate on what one of his knights was saying. He forced himself back into the conversation trying to keep his eyes on the men speaking to him but he couldn't help sneaking the occasional glance at the princess who hated him.

In the corner, Merlin wrung his hands the way he did when he was nervous and prayed his flimsy plan would work. Though deep down he knew it wouldn't be much help.

Cassie groaned inwardly as another lady of Camelot shot her and Morgana glares while her husband looked them both over, interest in his eyes. Fifteen hundred years and old married men were still pervs, go figure.

When they had finally met everyone Cassie led Morgana towards the wine. After that ordeal if they didn't deserve to get drunk no one did.

"My god I hate these things" the fake princess complained as she downed half her goblet in one gulp. Morgana laughed at her strange friend "Cassie I believe you are the only princess I know who doesn't like banquets" she teased lightly, but inside Morgana was a mess, she was terrified that the creature from her nightmare would attack and hurt someone she cared about like Uther, Arthur or Cassie.

Cassie could sense her uneasiness and put a hand on her friends arm "Morgana, it's okay. It was a dream and I won't let anything happen" she patted the side of her elaborate dress that concealed the small sword identical to the one in Morgana's dress. The two had decided the best they could do was be prepared, so with a little help from Gwen they had hidden the weapons in their gowns.

Morgana nodded "I'm sure you're right" she said "Just make sure you protect Arthur and Uther" she insisted. Gwen had been previously warned to keep her head down if anything happened and Merlin, well he usually could take care of himself.

"I will go speak with Uther for a while first and you go keep an eye on Arthur" Morgana instructed, determined to keep her adopted family safe.

Cassie, who was still in a bad mood with Arthur wanted nothing to do with him, she was about to say so to Morgana but the other woman had already turned and hurried to the King's side.

Cassie groaned, this was going to be a long night.

Merlin stood by the flower pot he had managed to conceal Arthur's best sword behind, determined not to move from that spot all night. That plan was turning out to be much more difficult than he had anticipated because though they had every servant in the castle working, Merlin found he was still being called upon to refill goblets and asked when the food would arrive.

He sighed and poured the wine as fast as he could and told the nobility in as quick a tone as possible that food would be out shortly after the King made a speech.

He had just returned to his post by the flower pot when something caught his eye, Cassie was standing a few feet away from Arthur, trying to gather herself enough to go talk to him and his knights and not bite the Crown Prince's head off.

Merlin chuckled to himself as he watched her gracefully approach one of the knights and speak to him. All the attention in the group was turned towards the princess. He caught sight of Arthur's slightly annoyed expression and held back a laugh.

The Prince was saved from having to deal with Cassie by his father stepping up to the elevated table, indicating that everyone should find a seat.

The room shuffled around in polite confusion for a minute or two and finally settled in. Merlin, like everyone else, stared up at the royal table, but unlike everyone else he was not waiting for the king to begin his speech.

Uther stood, smiling out at the people who called Camelot home and held their titles of nobility with a pride and honor that made him proud. He opened his mouth to say something to that effect and didn't even get past the first syllable when he was interrupted but a shattering of glass.

The large stained glass window at the far end of the hall had shattered inwards and a massive stone creature came flying in. It landed in the middle of the banquet hall, it's eyes set directly on the king.

There was a second of silence as everyone watched the creature enter, then the screaming started, and all hell broke loose.

Spanish translations:

_Es tan temprano, no quiero despertar_: It's so early, I don't wanna wake up

_Dame cinco mas minutos, es mi vacacion_: Gimme five more minutes, it's my vacation.


	13. Chapter 13: All Hell

**A/N:** Still looking for those reviews my lovelies.

To my wonderful and devoted fan: Yay! Go translations! Haha. Do you take Spanish in school?

**XXX**

When the screaming started every knight in the hall pulled their swords and leapt over the tables at the beast.

Cassie and Morgana, much to Arthur and Uther's shock, leapt up with them pulling swords from their gowns. Merlin stifled a groan, everyone was armed _except_ Arthur.

The unarmed courtiers in the hall sprinted for the exits but not before the creature jumped into action. It swung its long barbed tail, catching one lord in the shoulder and sending him to the ground before clashing with a knights sword.

"Arthur!" Merlin shouted, pulling the sword from behind the flowerpot. The Prince looked over at his servant waving a sword in the air and without hesitation knocked over his chair and sprinted to the boy.

"For once you were right Merlin" he said snatching the weapon from him "I should have had my sword" he said before running to assist his knights.

Arthur dove into the frenzy of people trying to escape and knights attempting to fight the stone beast. Uther had been given a sword and stood slightly behind the knights, it wouldn't do for the king to be killed, but the creature seemed intent on getting to him.

Cassie and Morgana stood amongst the knights attempting to get in a good swing at the beast but the metal of their swords bounced right off the stone.

"My Lady you should not be here!" Sir Owain said to Cassie as she stood next to him, pushing scrambling Lords and Ladies towards the doors.

"Yeah well you guys need all the help you can get" she shot back and swung at the beast again, chipping the stone slightly but only managing to infuriate the creature more.

It snapped its snakelike head at her and she stumbled back, just missing being crunched between its massive jaws. Her dress was becoming a problem, while Morgana was used to doing almost everything in one Cassie barely wore dresses even on special occasions and then they were much shorter and easier to move in.

"Morgana, get out of here!" Arthur called to the girl who he considered his sister. She turned her pale green eyes on him in a glare "I am going to stop this creature" she cried, determination spelled out in her stance. She charged at it swinging her sword like the best of them and made solid contact with its neck.

The sword did nothing but send up sparks and the creature batted the woman away with its paw. "Morgana!" Arthur heard Cassie's voice cry and turned to see her, sword raised staring at the limp form of her friend.

Gaius, who was for some reason still in the room, hurried to Morgana and tested for a pulse "Merlin! She's still alive, come here and help me" he called to the servant boy who had been circling behind the knights, trying to figure out a way to use magic to kill the creature.

He hurried to the physicians side and helped him remove Morgana from the room. "Gaius, there's nothing that I know of to stop the spell other than killing Lord Edmund" he hissed.

Gaius frowned "I do not think killing Lord Edmund would prove anything, he has probably fled to the deeper parts of the castle where everyone else is hiding, I doubt you'd even be able to find him" he said while checking all of Morgana's vitals.

"I know. I don't know what to do Gaius!" he ran a hand through his already messy hair.

"Well if you can't destroy the source of the magic, you must destroy the creature" Gaius said beginning to test the wrist he thought Morgana may have broken.

"But how do I do that!" Merlin cried in frustration. He had seen how the swords were bouncing off the stone monster and knew that stabbing it to death was not going to work.

"Oh I don't know Merlin but think of something fast!" Gaius snapped, Morgana's wrist was certainly broken and the creature may have even cracked a rib.

"Alright!" Merlin snapped back heading back into the banquet hall where one of the knights had been nicked in the back by the stone beasts barbed tail.

Uther had left the room to let his knights take care of the creature and because Arthur had practically shoved him out.

The prince swung his sword at the base of one of the wings and chipped off a significant amount of stone that crashed to the floor and shattered into tiny pebbles. This infuriated the creature which retaliated by swinging the offended wing towards Arthur's chest, hard enough to stop his heart.

Cassie, seeing this grabbed him by his cape and yanked him to the floor, the wing swinging over him. He turned to see his rescuer and his jaw dropped in disbelief as Cassie straightened and hacked at the back of the wing, some of the stone crumbling away.

"We have to get everyone out of here" she shouted above the din of knights hacking at the beast and being plowed over by its powerful limbs.

Arthur, who had regained his senses after the surprise of being saved by a girl, and a girl he thought hated him, agreed "Everyone! Fall back!" he shouted in his 'I'm the prince, I'm in charge voice' the one Cassie usually found so annoying.

The knights didn't need to be told twice, they scrambled out of the room the creature attempting to follow. "Seal the doors!" Arthur cried from where he and Cassie stood at the south entrance to the hall. The knights at the north entrance pushed the large oak doors closed as Arthur and some of his knights did.

They heard the creature thrashing against the doors and the crashes as it knocked over tables in the hall. Arthur, deciding the doors would hold turned to the people in the corridor with him. His knights were all more or less injured and Sir Owain was bleeding profusely "Get him to Gaius now" he instructed one of them "Anyone who needs it go see the physician" he announced, he figured while they were safe they might as well be treated so they could fight when the creature found a way out of the hall.

He then turned to Cassie and Merlin, the princess's dress was ripped and covered in stone dust from fighting the creature. She had a small cut on her forearm that was slowly bleeding but looked to begin clotting soon.

Merlin, as always had gotten away completely unscathed and even his clothes looked in perfect condition. Arthur rolled his eyes, it was typical of Merlin to run from a fight. "Alright we need to get everyone out of the castle so we can get back in there and fight this" he said.

Cassie gaped at him "Were you not just in there?" she asked, rather rudely questioning his judgment in front of his men "Hacking at it isn't going to work we're going to have to do something else" she continued, completely unaware of just how rude she was being, and if she did know, she wouldn't have cared.

Arthur glared at her, he was still not happy with this girl, despite the fact that she had fought like the best of them and saved his life "Lady Cassandra, I am in charge of my knights and I have much more experience with this kind of situation, please go see Gaius about that cut, Merlin take her to him please" he addressed the last part to his servant.

Cassie glared at him in half annoyance and half disbelief. She was about to tell him exactly what a self centered douche bag he was but Merlin took her arm and led her away before the insults could start pouring out of her mouth. "You're taking his side!" she asked annoyed that her friend would betray her like that.

"I'm not taking his side, I need you for a plan we have to hatch" he said tugging her by the non-bloody arm towards Gaius, who had set up shop in a rarely used corridor.

He wrapped up Cassie's cut and sent her and Merlin to sit over by Morgana who was recovering from her injuries with the help of some very strong pain medication Gaius had insisted she take.

"Is everyone alright?" the dark haired woman asked frantically despite the fact that just sitting up the way she was, was extremely painful.

Cassie put a hand on her friend shoulder "Everyone is fine, we left the monster in the banquet hall. We need a plan" she said, looking at Merlin who had suggested this in the first place.

Merlin nodded slowly, trying very hard to look like he knew what he was talking about, though he had no idea. It didn't fool either of the women in front of him but they still said nothing. "Alright" he said finally "So we can't destroy it by stabbing it with swords but it can be destroyed, we need to find a way to crush it" he said the idea coming to him as he said it.

"Awesome! So you have a plan?" Cassie asked excitedly. Merlin frowned "Not really" he admitted. Cassie and Morgana gave him annoyed looks.

"Well we have to find something to crush it with" Morgana pointed out, using her good wrist to push herself into a better sitting position.

Cassie looked between the two who definitely knew the castle better than her "Is there anything big enough in that room to crush the thing?" she asked.

Morgana and Merlin looked at each other, trying to figure out what they could use. They were both drawing blanks, "The tables?" Merlin suggested weakly.

Cassie gave him a look "They aren't strong enough" she said shaking her head.

"The lights!" Morgana exclaimed suddenly. Cassie and Merlin glanced at each other wondering if Morgana had hit her head too hard before when fighting the creature. She saw their looks and rolled her eyes "I mean the chandelier, it's this massive metal contraption right up along the ceiling. If we can, all at the same time, break the chains that hold it up we can bring it down on the thing and probably crush it" she explained.

Cassie tried to remember what she was talking about and thought she remembered seeing it as she walked along the balconies that lined the high ceilinged banquet hall. "Okay so we just have to go up and cut the chains while it's still in the banquet hall" she said happily.

Merlin nodded "It works we just have one problem" he pointed out.

"What?" Cassie asked, not liking the look in his eye/

"There are four chains and three people" he said folding his arms and looking at the two ragged women in front of him.

"He's right" Morgana put in "We need to find a fourth person" she said frowning.

Merlin stood up "I've got it, meet me up on the balcony and I'll bring our fourth person" he said and ran off dodging injured knights.

Cassie stared after him as she helped Morgana up from her sitting position, hoping his 'fourth person' wasn't who she thought it was.

"Arthur!" Merlin shouted to the prince who was standing with Sir Leon, going over possible strategies for attacking the creature.

"Not a good time Merlin" the prince snapped at his servant turning back to the other knight. He was annoyed and frustrated and he didn't need Merlin bugging him right then.

Merlin wasn't going to give up that easily though "Arthur, we need your help" he insisted.

Arthur turned on him "Merlin, the entire court of Camelot needs my help right now, how are your needs more important than theirs?" he snapped, the stress of the situation wearing on him.

But as usual Merlin ignored his rudeness "This is going to help the entire court of Camelot, give me two minutes" he begged. Arthur glared down at the smaller boy "I'll give you one" he said and motioned for Sir Leon to leave them.

The other knight raised his eyebrows but did so, going to check on some of the other injured knights.

"Alright, you have my attention" Arthur said, crossing his arms the way he always did when he didn't want to put up with Merlin's antics.

His servant launched into an explanation of the chandelier plan, telling it as quickly as he possibly could without sounding like Cassie when she spoke Spanish.

"So you're asking me?" Arthur said confused as to why Merlin hadn't grabbed the nearest person who could hold a sword and dragged them to the balcony to carry out his crazy plan.

"If I asked you, I knew I could make sure the thing was distracted but that no one was in the room when the chandelier collapses" he said, his eyes downcast.

Arthur realized with a start that the servant he took for granted as a clumsy idiot really did care about other people. He saw it in the obvious way he interacted with Cassie and in how kind he was to Gaius but he had never realized just what a good person his servant was. "I'll make the arrangements and meet you up on the balcony in a moment" he said and ran off to find Sir Leon again.

Merlin smiled and ran towards the stairs that would bring him to the balcony where a very tired Morgana and Cassie waited for him.

"Where's your fourth person?" Cassie asked when Merlin made it to the top of the stairs alone.

"Setting everything up" Merlin answered vaguely. The three were crouched at the top of the stairs, hidden from view to anyone standing in the banquet hall. Morgana was leaning against the wall clutching her broken rib, the medication Gaius had given her was wearing off and if Merlin's fourth person didn't get there soon she was going to pass out.

Finally the sounds of footsteps on the stairs could be heard over the din of the beast down in the banquet hall, trying to chop the room to bits.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me" Cassie groaned as Prince Arthur joined them at the top of the stairs holding an extra sword for Merlin.

Merlin gave her a look "He could make sure the creature was distracted. And he knows how to use a sword and trusts me enough to do this" he defended his prince/

Cassie rolled her eyes but stayed quiet, she knew Merlin was right but that didn't mean she was going to be happy about it.

Arthur immediately took charge making sure the two girls had swords and sending them to corners of the room where the chains holding up the massive metal chandelier were anchored tightly to the wall.

"Merlin" Cassie hissed as they tiptoed towards the far end of the room where they would be cutting chains from.

"Yeah" he whispered back. They could just see the creature now, the damage Arthur had done to its wing was preventing it from flying to instead it crashed around the room, slamming into the floor and walls.

"Those chains are not gonna cut if we just use swords. Arthurs too proud to admit it and Morgana's too delirious but you'd need a good ten minutes with a hack saw for each of those" she pointed out, unaware that Merlin had no idea what a hacksaw was.

He got the point anyway "What else can we do?" he asked as they reached the corner. Cassie gave him a hard look, her hazel eyes sharp and intense "It's more a question of what _you_ can do" she said and then continued to her corner.

Merlin's eyes widened in realization, she wanted him to use magic. But Arthur would notice if the chain just snapped before they cut it. he would have to time it exactly. He gave Arthur a thumbs up, the signal that he was ready and saw Morgana and Cassie do the same.

He murmured a spell to slow down time the second Arthur raised his sword and shouted "Now!" to indicate for everyone to cut the chain.

Merlin hadn't even bothered to raise his sword, he watched the others intently, waiting for the perfect moment. His eyes flashed gold just as the three swords connected with the chain and the chandelier when hurtling down, crushing the stone creature beneath it.

He was smiling down at his work when someone jumped on him, pulling him into a hug. "That was EPIC!" Cassie said letting go.

He grinned back at her "Thanks" he said and the two ran to Arthur and Morgana the latter of whom looked like she was about to faint.

"Merlin, your crazy plan worked" Arthur said smiling "Though my father will not be happy about his banquet hall" he added, leaning over the edge of the balcony to survey the damage below.

It was then that Morgana passed out. Merlin, being the nearest to her, caught her awkwardly holding her shoulders "We should get her to Gaius" he said, shifting her in his arms so he could carry her better.

Arthur was about to move to take Morgana from him when Cassie cut across him to lead Merlin down the stairs. She had a strange smile on her face like she knew something he didn't but he pushed the thought away. She probably just wanted to get Morgana medical attention as soon as possible.

He followed Merlin and Cassie down the stairs to see one of the knights opening the door to the banquet hall cautiously. The smile that spread across the man's face was slightly surprised but still happy. He turned to the men behind him and cheered that the creature had been crushed.

Arthur for once didn't stay around to brag, he was worried about Morgana and he wanted to be there in case she proved too much for Merlin to carry. The group hurried towards the hallway where Gaius had set up, mostly unnoticed by the servants and nobles that were heading towards the banquet hall to see what had happened there.

They reached the hallway to find it empty except for Lord Edmund holding a knife to Gaius's throat at the far end. The old man stared at them with wide, terrified eyes. Arthur automatically drew his sword, as did Cassie. "Oh put down your toy's you silly children" Lord Edmund snapped at them "You move and I kill the old man here" he said, sneering at the group in front of him.

"What are you doing?" Arthur demanded, pushing past Merlin and Morgana to stand just ahead of Cassie, careful to keep his sword down so Edmund wouldn't hurt Gaius.

"Well isn't it obvious?" Edmund said, clearly enjoying this "My plan to kill Uther failed so I'm improvising" he smirked at them.

Cassie let out a laugh "And how is holding a knife on Gaius gonna help?" she asked. Arthur turned to her, about to warn her not to antagonize him, then he saw the look in her eye. She was bluffing to buy time so he kept silent.

Lord Edmund however could tell "That's for me to know and you to find out" he said smiling and promptly used the hilt of the knife to knock Gaius out.

Merlin finally spoke up "Gaius!" he cried, stepping forward, the limp form of Morgana still in his arms. Lord Edmund smirked one more time before dragging Gaius's limp body around the corner at a startling pace for someone his age carrying a body.

"We have to go after him!" Merlin cried, the terror in his voice obvious.

Arthur shook his head "You stay here and look after Morgana, get her some more of that pain potion, you're the only one of us who knows what it is" he said ignoring Merlin's look of protest. "I'm going after him" he added and without another word strode to the end of the hallway.

He was about to peek around the corner when he heard soft footsteps behind him. he turned to see Cassie standing there, sword drawn and rolled his eyes "Lady Cassandra…" he started but she cut him off.

"I swear to god Arthur Pendragon if you tell me I can't come cause I'm a princess or some other stupid excuse I will stab you here and now. And for chrissake call me Cassie" she snapped angrily. "Gaius means a lot to me and hell if I'm gonna let you mess up and get him killed" she continued and marched around the corner, leaving him to stare openmouthed after her wondering as always where the hell she came from.

He snapped out of it after a second, slightly miffed at her taking charge and assuming he'd mess up saving Gaius.

At the end of the hallway Cassie confidently went right. "What makes you think he went that way?" Arthur demanded, determined to prove he was in charge.

"Just trust me" she snapped and hurried along the dark corridor, her ripped red dress swishing around her. Arthur had no choice but to follow. As much as she drove him crazy he felt a need to protect her and if he went off in the wrong direction he wouldn't be able to do that.

The two continued following Cassie's instincts until she suddenly stopped, leaning towards a doorway, listening. She looked back at Arthur and placed a finger on her lips, indicating for him to be quiet. He froze immediately, Cassie had a kind of authority that, like her or not, made it impossible not to listen to her.

He could hear the voice of Lord Edmund saying something in a language he did not understand. Cassie turned back to him "He's using magic" she mouthed at him and he had to concentrate hard to read her lips. An annoying subconscious part of his mind wandered back to when he'd kissed her but he knew that it was not the time so he told that part of his mind to shut up and focused on the task at hand.

In the second and a half he'd had to yell at his brain Cassie had already stepped up to the door and placed her delicate little hand on the knob.

She motioned him over to her and he tiptoed to her side without question. She placed her free hand on his shoulder and used it to support herself as she went up on her tiptoes, pulling him down when she still wasn't tall enough. "Okay here's the plan: one of us opens the door and the other one takes care of Edmund" she breathed in his ear and then let go.

He nodded and pointed at her hand on the door to indicate she should be the one to open the door. She rolled her hazel eyes but stepped into position behind the door. Arthur stood, sword ready directly behind her, with just enough space for her to open the door and give him a good view of what was in the room.

Cassie looked back up at him and he nodded, indicating she could open the door. She did so quickly, pulling it back and Arthur stepped forward.

The room was dimly lit by a single candle and Arthur could just see Lord Edmund, with his back to him, standing over a table with a large book propped open on it. Gaius lay, still unconscious on the floor at his feet.

When the door squeaked Lord Edmund turned, he shouted a spell and Arthur found himself unable to move. Edmund laughed but it was short lived. Arthur heard Cassie's annoyed sigh and then out of the corner of his eye saw her come around the door, hew own sword in hand and throw it expertly at Lord Edmund.

The weapon spun once across the short distance and Edmund, still laughing, his head throw back, didn't notice it until it buried itself in his chest.

He choked, mid laugh and looked down to see the sword protruding from his ribcage, an inch or so above his heart. It was a killing blow. But he wasn't going out without a fight. With the last of his strength Lord Edmund shouted a spell that flung fire at the still frozen Arthur.

For Cassie, time seemed to slow, she threw the sword the way Ryan's dad, Antonio, had taught her and watched it sink into Lord Edmunds ribs. Then he shouted some spell and a ball of fire was hurtling towards Arthur who seemed unable to move.

Still half frozen in shock that she had just killed a man Cassie couldn't move, she wanted to, to push Arthur out of the way but the shock of the man who now leaned heavily against the table, his eyelids fluttering in the last moments of his life, had her unable to move.

Then suddenly someone tackled Arthur to the ground, the fire, flying over his head and hitting the stone wall of the dim corridor behind him.

Cassie, who had been subsequently bowled over by Arthur when someone had jumped on him, fell hard against the stone ground, opening up a small cut on her jawbone. From her position on the ground she could see Lord Edmund shudder out his last breath and collapse to the floor.

She blinked hard and looked away, sitting up. Arthur was sitting up as well to see a grinning Merlin crouching next to them "Sorry I had to knock you over" he apologized to Cassie who couldn't help but smile back at him despite the fact that she was still reeling.

"You saved me?" Arthur looked at him in disbelief as the smaller boy stood up and rushed to the side of the still unconscious Gaius. He didn't get an answer as Merlin set about checking Gaius's vitals the way the old physician had taught him.

Arthur stood up, realizing after a second that Cassie was still crouched on the ground next to him, he looked down to see her staring into space as she twirled a finger through a lock of her messy hair. He leaned down and offered her a hand to help her up, the girl had saved his life after all.

In her shock, Cassie took the outstretched hand and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. "Are you alright?" Arthur asked quietly.

Cassie breathed in deeply and huffed it out then she looked up at him, her eyes clear and nodded "I'm fine, I was just surprised" she said and that was the end of it.

**XXX**

Merlin placed the plate of dinner down in front of Gaius with a proud smile on his face that he had managed to cook it.

The old man glanced up at him appreciatively "Thank you Merlin, this looks delicious" he said smiling at the young boy.

Merlin grinned back "It's no problem" he sat down with his own plate "I'm glad you're feeling better" he said.

Gaius nodded, after the confusion in the castle had died down Lady Amelia had apologized profusely and informed the King she had been under an enchantment. Uther had pardoned her and Arthur, Cassie and Morgana had been celebrated as heroes. Merlin as usual had to stand behind them and receive no credit.

The nobles had mostly left Camelot, seeing as there was no longer a banquet hall big enough for the lavish parties Uther intended to throw. The castle had calmed down considerably and everyone was just about healed of their injuries.

"I'm very proud of you Merlin" Gaius told the boy, knowing this, and possibly a congratulations from Cassie, was the only thanks he was going to get.

Merlin grinned, his mouth still full of food and Gaius made a face. He rolled his eyes, typical Merlin.


	14. Chapter 14: All In A Weeks Work

**A/N:** SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG! I know I'm a pain but I hit writers block… more like writers wall actually…. BUT here it is. ENJOY!

To my fan: That's awesome, I think learning languages is so important. I mean I cheat and take Spanish in school anyway… but it's good to learn other ones too :)

**XXX**

Merlin paced in front of the door, his nerves obvious in his face, the bouquet of flowers in his hand starting to fall limp because he was clutching them so hard. He stopped in front of the door, taking a deep breath in and holding it, raising his hand and preparing to knock. Then he let the breath out and his shoulders fall and resumed his pacing. "You okay?" the voice from behind him made him jump. He quickly shoved the flowers behind his back and stood, facing Cassie who was standing behind him in the hallway, her hands on her hips and her eyebrows raised.

"Yeah" he squeaked. His stressed voice and suspicious movements giving away his lie.

"Really?" she asked skeptically. She stepped forward until she was practically nose to nose with Merlin then, with one deft movement, snatched the flowers from behind his back. Bringing them up in front of her face she let out that infectious, attention grabbing laugh she had and handed them back to Merlin. "Really? Flowers? That's cute" she said, still laughing.

Merlin felt his cheeks flush "Yes" he mumbled , turning to leave. He didn't need to be embarrassed like this.

"Oh Merlin, come on, you know I'm just messing with you" she said taking his arm and holding him back with a surprising strength for someone so small. He had no idea what messing with someone was but he knew she was just teasing him. He let himself smile again, though he was still blushing.

Arthur turned the corner and strode towards them before stopping in his tracks, his eyebrows shooting up at the sight of his servant holding flowers and the Princess holding his servants arm. Cassie's back was to him but he had heard her laugh from around the corner and he could see how evidently Merlin was blushing.

He forced himself to keep walking, telling himself that he could yell at his servant later about trying to woo princesses. Cassie ,who had now turned to the door they were standing in front of, didn't see him as he walked past and Merlin, who was too busy staring at his feet in embarrassment, missed the Prince as well.

"Morgana!" Cassie sang happily, entering the still recovering girl's room, the flowers in one hand and Merlin's arm in the other.

The Kings Ward looked up at her, smiling at the sight of her two friends "Cassie! Merlin!" she exclaimed sitting straighter in her bed with a wince. She was still recovering from her injuries a few weeks ago and was consigned to her bed until Gaius decided she was back in perfect health.

"Merlin was stalling outside your door with these" Cassie informed her, throwing a mischievous grin back at Merlin and holding out the flowers to Morgana. She walked across the room to sit on Morgana's bed with her, leaving the poor servant standing at the door, blushing more than he ever had.

Morgana smiled up at him, taking the flowers from Cassie "They're beautiful, thank you Merlin" she said examining them.

Gwen walked in then through the servants door, starting a little at her mistresses company "Lady Cassandra, Merlin" she acknowledged bowing quickly.

Cassie rolled her eyes good-humoredly at the servant girl "Gwen, really, call me Cassie, there's no need to bow to me when it's just us" she insisted. Gwen nodded her acquiescence, knowing she would forget again later and she and Cassie would go through this again.

"Gwen, could you please put these in a vase?" Morgana asked her servant politely, Morgana had never been one to order her servants around the way Arthur did to Merlin and all the women in the room felt bad for him.

"Of course my lady" Gwen smiled and left with the flowers to find a vase.

"Merlin, come sit!" Cassie instructed, a devious smile stretching across her pretty features, "I feel bad that you're just standing there" she said.

"It's a big bed, come join us" Morgana added, completely oblivious to her friend's scheme. Merlin on the other hand wasn't as blissfully ignorant and never had that phrase been more inviting. He blushed further –something he hadn't thought possible- and walked slowly to the bed, pulling up a chair next to it instead of actually sitting on it with the girls.

Merlin had always been a little shy around Morgana. She was rather beautiful and much kinder than either of the Pendragons in the palace though everyone treated her like Uther's second child. He wasn't necessarily interested in her romantically, Arthur had lectured him more than once for staring after the lady and being infatuated with Royals when they came to visit, whether he actually was or not. But she still unnerved him, something about her threw him off but at the same time reeled him in.

"How's your rib?" Cassie asked, placing her hand on top of Morgana's the genuine concern glowing in her eyes.

The other woman smiled, the expression lighting up her face and making her look younger and prettier "It's almost fully healed, Gaius says I should be up and about in a few days" she told them, glancing at Merlin to include him rather than make him feel like a servant.

He found himself smiling as well "That's good to hear" he told her honestly. They sat in Morgana's chambers with her for a while, telling her about the comings and goings of everyone around Camelot.

"No!" she complained when Merlin told her knights had been arriving all day for the tournament that would begin tomorrow, "I'll have to miss the tournament!"

"It's just a bunch of sweaty men chasing each other around with swords, besides, you and I both know we could beat every one of them" Cassie joked to improve her friends mood.

Morgana laughed "You're right, of course. But still, you must tell me everything about the tournament" she insisted.

"I will, promise" Cassie smiled at her. Morgana went on to explain which knight was which, who didn't like who and who had won and lost in the past. It seemed Arthur always won and since he was Prince, everyone had to like him for it.

"Arthur! Oh no" Merlin said, realizing that the Prince would be furious that his servant was missing in action when he was supposed to be helping him train "I have to go help Arthur train, he's going to have me in the stocks for a week for this" he clarified to the two women who were staring at him with confused expressions on their faces.

"Tell him it was my fault and I was detaining you" Cassie told him, trying to give the poor boy an excuse. Merlin smiled at her gratefully and ran off, tripping over his own feet in his haste and nearly knocking over the flowers he had bought Morgana.

**XXX**

Two men stood in the forest overlooking Camelot, the castle just visible to them from their spot. They were both young, as men go, but too old to be called boys. One was scrawny with straw colored hair and a twisted leg that made him limp everywhere. His beady brown eyes looked constantly angry or confused and he hunched over slightly, giving himself the appearance of an old man. The other man was well muscled and handsome. He had wavy brown hair and charming blue eyes and when he wanted to his smile could set a whole room in a daze. The two men held the reins to horses, both burdened with supplies for their stay in the city they looked upon.

"Are you ready?" the scrawny one asked the other man, turning his attention away from the sight in front of them.

The larger man looked down "Yes, I am ready. I will win this tournament and hopefully, the Princess's heart" he smiled, though this smile was not out of happiness, it was a malevolent anticipation.

"Very good then, you are Sir Alan of Mora, Third Son of the Duke of Cawdor" the scrawny man told him, handing him the stolen seal of nobility.

The larger man glared down at him "Aren't you forgetting something?" he growled. The small man looked up at him confused and the bigger one sighed and rolled his eyes. He swiftly kicked the smaller man in his gimpy leg, causing him to double over in a position that resembled a bow of respect. The large man grinned again "Much better" he said. Ignoring the pained whimpers of the smaller man he pushed himself onto his horse.

The small man followed suit, using his good leg to push himself up and swing the twisted one over his own horse. The two set their steeds in a gallop towards Camelot.

**XXX**

"Merlin!" Arthur said loudly, his voice full of sarcasm "You finally decided to show up" he hefted the sword he was holding and pointed it at his manservant.

"Sorry I was talking with Cassie" he said, giving the excuse the fake princess told him to.

Arthur's eyebrows shot up and he felt an annoyance building in his gut. His servant spent all together too much time 'talking' with the princess. He told himself it was just that he didn't like Merlin's attention being diverted from his duties but deep down he knew it wasn't just that.

Arthur pushed the thoughts away before the word 'jealous' could come into his mind. "Get a sword, you're going to help me practice" he snapped at the servant.

Merlin sighed and did as he was told. He had barely lifted the weapon when Arthur swung at him. Unprepared, he barely managed to block the blow before it hit him in the face. But Arthur was unmerciful, he brought his sword around to swing at Merlin's left. The boy hastily brought his own swords around, again just barely blocking the Prince's blow.

Arthur continued, swinging his sword at the servant boy faster and faster, making Merlin back up and ultimately trip, falling on his back. He glared up at the Prince who, instead of the usual smug grin he wore when he beat Merlin, was scowling. "Come on Merlin, I'm not going to get any practice if you can't even handle the warm up" he snapped.

Merlin raised his eyebrows. Arthur could be a prat but he usually took it sort of easy on Merlin, who he knew wasn't as strong or good with a sword. He sighed, sometimes in these situations it was best to just keep quiet and take a nice long, hot bath after to sooth his aching muscles. He stood up and resigned himself to a day of pain and soreness.

**XXX**

The stands were slowly filling up around the arena where the tournament was always held. The people of Camelot were more than excited to see their champion win again and most of the children held tiny red flags with the Pendragon crest emblazoned on them. Cassie was even getting excited, though watching men fight each other had never been very entertaining to her. She sat where Morgana usually did, in the seat of honor on Uther's right. Normally that was Arthurs place but since he was fighting the tournament, Morgana usually sat by him there.

"Lady Cassandra" a squire squeaked at her as he approached. She smiled graciously, playing the part of a princess very well. It was something she had gotten better at the more time she spent in Camelot "Yes?" she asked.

The squire blushed "King Uther has instructed me to ask you if, since the Lady Morgana is still in ill health, if you would mind doing her customary duty of escorting the winner of the tournament to the banquet after" he stuttered out, his blush growing.

Cassie bit her lip, she didn't particularly want to escort anyone to the banquet, but if Uther asked… "Of course, tell him that I would be honored to" she said, letting go of her lip and smiling again.

"Thank you my Lady" the squire squeaked and scurried off to inform the king. Cassie sighed and slouched slightly in her chair, this was going to be a long day.

"Comfortable Cassie?" Gwen asked, coming to join her.

Cassie laughed "Not at all, I have to escort the winner of this thing to a banquet" she rolled her eyes to show what she thought of the idea.

Gwen let out a small laugh and Cassie found herself wondering if she was _the_ Guinevere. "It's quite an honor, though I don't envy you if Arthur wins again" she teased. Or maybe she wasn't _the_ Guinevere.

"Oh don't remind me" Cassie groaned a smile lighting up her face. The knights began to walk onto the field and Cassie looked them over, they were all relatively young and strong looking. "Ohh what if it's that one" Gwen whispered, pointing at a rather ugly man who looked as if he'd never had a shave, or a shower for that matter.

"Ew, Gwen!" Cassie laughed making a face towards the ugly man. Arthur stepped into the arena, looking very regal as always. She had to admit, he was a good looking man, his blonde hair and blue eyes made him look young and innocent but something about his expression showed exactly how much pressure he was under. He was followed into the arena by another young man. He had brown hair and captivating blue eyes, that, right then, were focused on the princess. He made a showy bow, his dazzling smile aimed at the box where she sat and Cassie nodded her head to him in acknowledgement.

"He's rather handsome" Gwen commented, seeing the exchange and the smile that graced the princess's features. Cassie simply nodded, watching the handsome young knight as he took his place in the line next to a rather short man who barely looked young enough to participate in the tournament.

Once all the knights were in line the horns blew to announce the entrance of the king. Everyone stood, Cassie included, and the people cheered as Uther made his way up to the box where his throne had been placed. He waved to his people graciously and then turned to Cassie, taking her hand and kissing it gently, as was custom. The fake Princess smiled back at him, getting very good at her role.

Uther began his speech the usual way and Cassie tuned out most of it, letting her eyes drift over the knights, wondering who would beat who. Hearing her name come up in the speech she turned back to the King "…The winner, will have the honor of escorting our royal guest, The Lady Cassandra, Princess of Puerto Rico, to the banquet in their honor" he said holding a hand out to Cassie. She took it and stepped forward smiling at the men in front of her.

They all looked back with appreciative expressions, even Arthur who had been fighting the urge to stare at her from the moment he entered the arena.

"Now, let the tournament begin!" Uther announced, sitting down and leaning back. The knights filed off the field and the crowd waited in anticipation for the tournament to begin.

**XXX**

"Merlin" Arthur snapped "Sword, now please" he held out his hand. Merlin scrambled over to the table where his masters weapons were stored and leaned back over another table to hand the prince his sword.

Arthur glared at him before snatching the sword from Merlin's hand and stomping off to watch the first match.

"There is something wrong here" Merlin muttered to himself and against his better judgment followed the Prince to the edge of the training grounds where the arena was just visible.

Arthur stood there, glaring down at the fight that was now taking place, he seemed lost in thought, as if he wasn't actually concentrating on the fight but something else. Merlin held back, not wanting to have to deal with Arthur's rage.

The Prince himself was indeed lost in thought; he stared down at the box where his father and Lady Cassandra sat observing the fight. He was interrogating himself, trying to figure out why he was so riled up about his servant giving her flowers. It wasn't as if he was interested in her. He couldn't be, she was a fiery, insane, beautiful woman who had an innate capacity for making him crazy. Alright, so maybe he was a little interested in her. But he shouldn't be, and even if he was it shouldn't bother him that she was so close with Merlin. The boy had been giving her flowers, not proposing marriage. He sighed. Sometimes he was too hard on his servant.

As this thought crossed Arthur's mind the servant stumbled over a loose pebble in the slope and fell, tumbling down towards the arena. Arthur turned and rolled his eyes before walking over to stop Merlin with his foot. "I don't even want to know Merlin" he said rolling his eyes, but the bitterness was gone from his tone and the other boy knew he was forgiven for whatever he had done, or not done.

"Come on, I have a tournament to prepare for" Arthur said, holding out a hand to the boy on the ground. Merlin took it with his characteristic goofy grin and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet.

"Lets go then sire" he said with a little more enthusiasm than necessary.

**XXX**

The first fight had been between the ugly man Gwen had pointed out before and another young knight. The rather large, uglier man won quickly and Cassie clapped, as was appropriate. "Looks like he might just win" Gwen teased lightheartedly, holding back a laugh at the Princess's expense.

She truly liked Lady Cassandra, she was different from all the other Royals in the house, treating them like equals the way Morgana did. But something about Cassie was different, off a little. She seemed unaccustomed to royal treatment though in her current position no one would know that. But every morning when Gwen came in to wake her up, she found the Princess already awake and dressed, strumming away on that strange instrument she had. She made her own bed and folded her own laundry, she had even come down to the kitchens once to fetch her own breakfast.

It was strange to say the least but Gwen could only assume that things were just done differently where Cassie came from. After all an island kingdom across a massive sea had to be very different from the Camelot she had grown up in which was surrounded by mountains and forests.

Cassie was reeling in her own thoughts too. She had realized that her sixty days were two days from being up and she was still sure she hadn't changed history. Except for saving Arthur a few times, which Merlin very well could have done on his own, she hadn't done anything to impact the pages of storybooks like the one sitting in her room a page dog-eared at the Celtic legend of King Arthur. Who was now stepping onto the field in front of her.

She watched as Arthur and another knight, this one very tall and muscular, his ill-fitting chainmail stretching across his arm as he brought it up to stand in a ready position. Cassie stared in fascination as the two began to circle each other , then without warning and suddenly the tall knight lunged, stabbing his sword directly at the Prince and drawing an unconscious gasp from her mouth.

It would have been a killing blow but Arthur was quicker than he looked in all that chainmail and dodged it easily, striking back with his own blow to the knights shoulder with the hilt of his sword. This was not a fight to the death, it was a tournament, meant for entertainment and fun. The other knight fell to one knee, quickly turning towards the side that Arthur had hit him at, but the Prince danced around to his other side to knock his knees out from under him, landing him on the ground face first. Arthur pointed his sword at the center of the man's back, applying enough pressure so he would feel it.

The crowd roared in appreciation and Uther stood while clapping for his son and Cassie followed suit. Arthur turned to the crowd, thrusting his sword in the air as he accepted their praise. Then he turned back to the box where his father and Lady Cassandra stood applauding him as well. His eyes still burned with adrenaline as they locked with her hazel ones and he could sense the silent approval of his victory.

The moment was broken when his father sat back down, and so did she, looking down for a second to make sure she didn't fall off her chair. Cassie wasn't very clumsy, nowhere near as much so as Merlin but she made a point to not fall on her face as much as possible, especially in front of good looking Princes who made her blush. She silently thanked whatever deity there was that had given her the same copper skin her mother had and the capability to tan easily that made her blushes almost imperceptible.

Arthur finally bowed once to his father and the Princess and left the field. Merlin Grinned from his spot by the table full of Arthur's things. He knew the Prince would win, he always did and it seemed for once that no one was trying to kill him.

The next fight was one between the handsome blue eyes knight who had caught Cassie's eye before and another very young knight. The poor boy stared up at the larger man, the fear of the fight evident in his eyes. The blue eyed knight gave him a cruel smile and swung at him the second they were signaled to start. The boy jumped back swinging his sword uselessly at the much larger knight. They grappled for a few minutes, the boy putting up a pretty good fight despite the odds. Then the older knight finally side stepped him and sent him sprawling with a well placed hand slamming into his back. He turned, raising his sword up, ready to kill the boy when he suddenly remembered where he was. His eyes shot to the Lady Cassandra who was leaning forward in her chair, eyes wide in shock and horror and a hand over her mouth. He let the sword down, keeping it away from the boy and held a hand out to him to help him up.

The crowd visibly relaxed. Lady Cassandra sat back in her seat mentally berating herself for thinking that the kind eyed knight was actually going to kill the boy.

The knight turned towards her and the king, bowing low but keeping his eyes locked on the Princess's. She smiled and clapped like everyone else but met his gaze with a sort of respect in her eyes.

**XXX**

After the fights of the tournament were done of the day and only half the knights remained they were shown to their chambers and expected for a dinner with the King that night. "Gwen" Cassie complained looking at the elaborate dress the serving girl handed her "Can't I wear something simpler?" she asked, knowing the answer would be no.

Gwen smiled good-naturedly "I'm sorry my Lady, but the King requested you look your best. I think he hopes it will give Arthur incentive to win." she giggled, having heard –like everyone else in the palace- the rumor that she and Arthur had started that they were courting.

Cassie rolled her eyes "Really Gwen, I'm not interested in that little prick" she said her eyes darkening in her annoyance against the prince. Though she had saved his life twice during the whole ordeal with the gargoyle and Lord Edmund she still remembered the fight they'd had in his room and how he'd kissed her. She tried her hardest not to think about the feeling that came along with the kiss or how she deep down wanted to keep kissing him.

Gwen frowned "I thought you two fancied each other" she said, she liked the two together, as much as she teased Cassie about it. She thought the Princess was the only one who could curb Arthur's insufferable ego.

Cassie sighed, she had about ten minutes to be ready for the banquet and it was a very long complicated story. Besides the servants gossiped enough already. "Long story" she muttered holding her hand out for the tightly fitting, low cut, off white dress Gwen had made for her. Once she had forced herself into a pair of 'suitable shoes' as Gwen called them, she headed down to the room where Uther was hosting a feast.

Arthur sat directly to the kings right and there was an empty chair for the Lady Cassandra on the left. Next to that chair was the charming brown haired blue eyed knight that had so kindly spared the boy that day. The rest of the table was filled with hungry knights all eating more than their fill, knowing that this may be the last royal feast they ever attended. A simple miscalculation of a blow could leave them dead or worse. Despite that all the men chatted amiably as the dinner began.

When she entered the room all chatter keeled over dead of a sudden heart attack and all heads swiveled towards her. Jaws agape –some with food still in them- all the men stared at her as she smiled regally and walked to the head of the table to sit on Uther's left. Cassie had never thought of herself as particularly gorgeous. She turned heads plenty but that was because of her confidence and status as a rock star, not because of her looks. If she had to guess she would base the reaction of the men in the room on the gown she wore and the way Gwen had done her makeup. The dress was tight and would have been strapless if not for the thin, off white lace that came up around her neck and down her arms. By medieval standards, she was showing off a lot.

The king himself was smiling knowingly and shooting keen glances at his son who had frozen, his goblet halfway to his lips. His eyes were glued to the princess who sat down across from him and raised her eyebrows at his expression before turning to the king and apologizing for her lateness "I'm terribly sorry my lord but you know how long it takes us ladies to get ready" she laughed a little, her propriety flawless.

Uther beamed "Of course my lady, I understand completely" he said then turned his attention to the awestruck men around the table "Knights of Camelot, may I personally introduce you to the Lady Cassandra, Princess of Puerto Rico" he said and the men seemed to snap out of their trances enough to greet her.

Cassie smiled at them politely before turning to her plate. She began to eat, noticing the men had started talking again though many were simply whispering about the woman at the end of the table.

Arthur couldn't keep his eyes off her. She was normally beautiful, gorgeous even but tonight she was positively stunning. Her dress showed more than was strictly proper, not that anyone in the room minded, and her honey brown hair was smoothed into a low bun at the side of her neck. The black lines of her tattoo could be seen clearly through the thin lace of the dress and he found himself wondering why she had gotten it. The prince was reminded of the banquet held in her honor, how incredible she looked and how incredibly she sang.

"Lady Cassandra, it is such an honor to meet you, your beauty far exceeds the tellings of it" the man on her left said. She looked up and saw the blue eyed knight who had caught her eye earlier said, smiling at her. She blushed "The honor is all mine, sir…?" she trailed off the open question in her voice. "Sir Alan" he supplied. "Sir Alan then, it is a pleasure to meet you, I saw your fight today, it was rather impressive" she informed him.

He beamed at her words and Arthur scowled from across the table. "Thank you my lady" he said, noticing the Prince's glare "I was wondering if you would do me the honor of showing me a little bit of the castle and the grounds tomorrow morning before the tournament continues" he asked politely.

"Of course, I'd be happy to" she grinned back at him discreetly slipping off her 'suitable shoes' under the table. The two continued to talk amiably all through dinner and Arthur found himself becoming increasingly hostile. After dinner he stormed up to his room, slamming the doors as he entered. Merlin, who had been preparing the room for Arthur to sleep, looked up in alarm "What happened?" he asked

"Some Sir Alan spent all knight attempting to woo Lady Cassandra" Arthur snapped, being uncharacteristically honest in his frustration. Merlin was surprised, the Prince never told him what happened. He usually just snapped something rude at the boy and sent him scurrying.

"And that has frustrated you so much because…?" Merlin trailed off leaving the question to ask itself.

Arthur turned to him with a look in his eyes that Merlin did not like, at all. The blonde boy was thinking, hard. If Merlin was as interested in Lady Cassandra as he was, Arthur could enlist him to help get rid of this knight, and narrow the playing field. "I don't like this knight, he has a shifty look about him, I don't think he's good for the Princess" he said.

Merlin, who had no such interest in the princess smiled gleefully "Do you really not like him or are you just jealous?" he asked, raising a thin black eyebrow.

Arthur glared at him "Merlin" he growled. "I know, I know: Shut up" the dark haired boy supplied, "So what do you want me to do about it?" he asked.

"Go find out more about this knight" he said waving his hand noncommittally "And Merlin" he added as the other boy turned to go, "Be discreet about it" his tone was heavy with implications.

Merlin feigned shock "Prince Arthur! Are you telling me to spy on a knight?" he asked, placing a hand to his chest. The prince's glare was enough of an answer and the boy scurried out of the room.

**XXX**

"Did the feast go well tonight my lord?" the scrawny blonde man asked the other one as he helped him remove his jerkin.

"It went very well Henry" the man pretending to be Sir Alan smiled his anticipating smile again "The Princess is charmed by me already and she has agreed to a walk around the grounds tomorrow morning" he said sitting on the bed and stretching his arms out above his head.

"You will not kill her tomorrow?" Henry exclaimed in surprise. The fake Sir Alan smacked the cripple upside the head "Of course not tomorrow" he snapped "Once I have won the tournament and her heart, then I will take her riches from her and kill her, all in a weeks work" he said, his blue eyes glowing with greed and a sick sort of anticipation.

"Very good my lord" Henry said hobbling out of arms reach of the much larger man. "Now snuff out the candles, I will need my sleep to be well rested for the Princess tomorrow" the fake Sir Alan snapped and Henry did so, limping around the room on his twisted leg, chuckling happily to himself.

The men went to sleep unaware that they were being spied on through the keyhole of the servants door.

Merlin had almost fallen over in shock at what they planned to do to Cassie. This was no charming knight, this was a murderer.

**A/N numero dos :)**

**Does anyone wanna do me a favor and come up with a summary for me? Cause I suck at them REALLY bad and I could use some help. Leave it as a review and my top few will get a sneak peak at the next chapter… I'll even show you the really exciting part :)**


	15. Chapter 15: Blue Eyes

**A/N:** Thank you to CoffeeJunkie33 and my darling fan for reviewing 3

Sorry this took so long. Yesterday was my little sister's eleventh birthday. So Saturday she had all her squealing friends over and Sunday half my family showed up. So I've been busy.

**XXX**

"What?" Arthur asked incredulously, standing up from where he sat on the edge of his bed. It was late and the rest of the castle was sleeping.

"They're planning on killing Cassie once they steal her riches or whatever they can from her" Merlin repeated. He too was worried, Cassie was one of the few people in the castle who was actually nice to him. And he knew that she was stubborn, she wouldn't like people telling her Sir Alan was here to kill her.

"I heard you the first time" Arthur snapped, starting to pace, pinching the bridge of his nose the way he always did when he felt he was in hopeless situations. "What are we going to do about it?" he asked, more to himself than Merlin but the dark haired boy spoke up anyway "We can tell her, I'm sure she wouldn't be so interested in him if she knew he was a killer" he suggested.

Arthur frowned "She won't believe us, we have no proof" he said, his pacing growing faster, one hand clenched in a fist behind his back the other up to the bridge of his nose, his stress obvious.

Merlin smiled a little "She may not trust you Arthur, but Cassie likes me, she'll listen" he said confidently.

The Prince turned to glare at him "Fine, you can go tell Lady Cassandra that her favorite knight is a murderer" he snapped, his own annoyance pushing into his tone.

Merlin sighed "I just meant that we're friends Arthur" he pointed out. Then he realized something "Arthur, Cassie has no riches" he said, cutting off the Prince's rude reply.

Arthur looked at him, his brow furrowed in confusion "What do you mean she has no riches? She's a princess of course she does" he said.

Merlin backpedaled furiously, he knew Cassie wasn't a princess but no one else did "I just mean that… her country is at war! So she can't access any of the things she had back there, she doesn't even know how she's going to get home" he said, his logic actually making sense for once.

The Prince nodded "You have a point, that isn't exactly public knowledge" he agreed, his pacing slowing down again "But we still have to warn her. First thing tomorrow morning, we are going to find her before Sir Alan does" he decided.

Merlin smiled "I'm glad you're finally going to pursue her sire" he said innocently.

Arthur turned a glare on him "Merlin" he growled. "Got it, I'm gone" he said before running out the door.

**XXX**

When Cassie woke up the next morning she hopped right out of bed and started getting ready for the day. She would be going for her walk with Sir Alan that day and she wanted to look good. She wasn't sure what attracted her to Sir Alan, normally she wasn't one to fall for the overly flattering types but he was flattering in a teasing way and for a man from this time period, very receptive to her sarcasm. He was a people person, just like her and she liked that about him.

She got ready quickly and practically skipped out of her room, missing breakfast but not caring. She wandered through the castle for a little, the maze of corridors and stairways always proving interesting to explore. Cassie felt like it was so big she would never see all of it. Finally, as she began to see Gaius walking around she headed towards the courtyard where Sir Alan had proposed they meet.

She was about to exit the palace onto the steps when she heard someone call her name. Being that very few people in the castle called her 'Cassie' she had a fairly good idea of who it would be and considered ignoring him completely and just walking out the door but she saw the servants all watching out of the corners of their eyes and one woman even leaned over to the other servant she was talking to and whispered something in her ear. The servant's gossiped enough already without spinning tales of what Arthur had done to make her hate him. She was determined to be proper.

Cassie turned towards the Prince who was jogging towards her a look of extreme relief on his face "Yes my lord?" she asked, pulling her face blank the way she did sometimes after concerts when she just wanted to collapse on the tour bus and sleep instead of putting up with unoriginal youtube interviewers.

"Cassie you cannot go out with Sir Alan today" he said quietly but intensely once he finally reached her, he knew as well as she did, perhaps even better, that the servants gossiped far too much and was attempting to curb the scandal.

The Princess's response, however, completely nullified that idea. "What?" she snapped loudly, allowing her temper to get the better of her "Since when do you tell me who I can or cannot spent time with?" she asked, annoyance flowing through her voice.

Arthur sighed, this plan had not been well thought through. "Cassie, Merlin found out something last night, you cannot keep spending time with him" he insisted. He needed to make her understand and he very well couldn't shout that the man was a murderer in the middle of the corridor, _then_ the servants would really gossip.

But there was no changing Cassie's mind "Oh so now you're bringing Merlin into this? Really Arthur this is so immature, I understand if you're jealous but maybe you could try, oh I don't know, being nice once in your life? Now I have an engagement so if you'll excuse me" she glared at him once before turning and marching out the doors, her thick soled boots sounding loudly on the floor.

Arthur let out a severely annoyed groan and turned to go. The servants resumed their activities all mentally preparing the story they would tell any unfortunate enough to have missed it, what had happened between the Prince and the Princess.

**XXX**

"No! My Lady, tell me you are in jest" Sir Alan laughed as Cassie told him the story of how she and Alex had once ruined the entire thanksgiving dinner by accidentally starting a fire in the kitchen.

"No, it happened, he knocked over the bowl of mashed potatoes and up it goes, everything caught fire, my mom was livid" she told him, omitting the whole stove part. They were walking along the edge of the castle grounds, right near the woods, talking. Sir Alan was a good listener and he was very easy to have a conversation with. He was everything that a knight should be, polite, charming, chivalrous and of course a very talented fighter and he was handsome to boot.

"I would imagine so my Lady" he laughed. "Cassie, please, my friends never call me 'my Lady'" she said smiling up at him. Sir Alan was even taller than Arthur, which made him much taller than she was and she found herself having to crane her neck up to see him clearly. He was looking down at her in a kind of awe "Cassie it is then" he said allowing a smile to take over his face.

They walked through the lower town and came upon some children dancing to a street musician playing something Cassie thought was a lute. "Oh we have street musicians at home all over the place" Cassie told Sir Alan, she was itching to go dance to the upbeat lively music but she didn't want to just leave him. He made the decision for her, taking her hand and pulling her into the middle of the circle of onlookers and they began to dance. Not very well admittedly because Cassie knew nothing of the dances most people did in Camelot but they laughed as they stumbled over each others feet.

When the song ended people clapped for them and they bowed and curtseyed along with the lute player. The two continued walking, Cassie with a huge smile on her face. "I hope your singing is better than your dancing, for it is spoken of much" Sir Alan teased as they walked back towards the castle.

Cassie laughed "I would say it is, I have two left feet" she admitted. Sir Alan laughed as well "I believe we saw that for ourselves when you stepped on mine" he joked "But it would be an honor to hear you sing" he added. He was curious what all the buzz was about this princess and her incredible voice.

Cassie cleared her throat "I'm not usually very good acapella but here goes" she said and then sang "Look at the stars, look how they shine for you and everything you do" it was one of her favorite songs.

Sir Alan applauded lightly after the one line she opted to sing "Beautiful, Cassie, I can see why all of Camelot is so taken with you" he complimented.

"And what about you?" she asked flashing him a smile "Are you as taken with me?".

"Probably more" he said, making his voice serious and looking down at her with his enchanting blue eyes.

**XXX**

"Merlin we have to do something!" Arthur ranted as the dark haired boy hurried to keep up with him as he strode down the corridor. The Prince had been in a bad mood since he had failed to convince Cassie that she was in danger with Sir Alan. As he passed by the window something caught his eye and he stopped, moving over to press his nose against the glass. Cassie and Sir Alan were walking through the courtyard together and Cassie was laughing at something he said. Arthur was torn between relief that she was alright and annoyance that she was so happy with him, a man who plotted to kill her.

"Well she's alright" Merlin pointed out, trying to be optimistic as always. Arthur glared at him and he frowned "Look all I'm saying is that now I can talk to her and get her to see sense" Merlin said.

"You must make her see sense, Sir Alan is going to murder her. And I will not let that happen" the blonde boy snapped.

Merlin rolled his eyes behind the princes back "Arthur, stop worrying, I'll tell her all about his plan, she likes me better than you anyway so she'll listen" he insisted. The glare he received from the Prince made him backpedal "I mean, we're just very good friends" he said, "I'll fix it don't worry".

Arthur glared through the window down to the courtyard as Cassie and Sir Alan reached the steps, she leaned up and pressed a kiss to his cheek before dancing off towards the castle doors "It may already be too late" the Prince sighed and turned away.

Unbeknownst to the two, Henry, the fake Sir Alan's crippled servant, had been listening to every word of the conversation. He scowled as the Prince and his servant walked away. His master would not be pleased.

The little man hobbled back towards the rooms he and the fake Sir Alan were staying in and began haphazardly pacing the floor. Mid-pace the doors burst open and the man pretending to be Sir Alan stepped in "Henry, get me some food, I'm starving" the man snapped as the door closed behind him.

"Yes, right away my lord" Henry said moving towards the servants door before changing his mind and deciding to tell his master about the Prince and his servant when the fake Sir Alan didn't have food to throw at him. "My lord" he said turning. The taller man turned to him, eyebrows raised. Henry swallowed and continued "The Prince Arthur and his servant are somehow aware of our plan" he said, trembling back at the expression that overtook his masters face.

"How?" he growled, the blue in his eyes darkening until and his handsome face twisting in rage.

"I do not know my lord, I only overheard them speaking!" Henry cried, cowering away from the large man. His master strode over and grabbed him by the collar, lifting him off his feet and holding him very close to his face "Now I have to fix this you insolent fool" he growled throwing Henry down, causing the little blonde man to land painfully on his twisted leg.

The fake Sir Alan began to pace "I will have to kill him in the tournament" he thought aloud "I can make it look like an accident and be terribly remorseful" he continued, a plan forming in the evil mans mind.

Merlin bobbed through the crowd headed towards the arena for the second part of the tournament, he needed to find her before she went up to her box but Cassie was nowhere to be found. Huffing in frustration he turned and pushed his way back towards the knights tents, hoping she might be there.

Arriving at the tents his head, swiveling every which way attempting to find her, he knew he had to and he knew he was in trouble if he didn't. He caught a glimpse of her honey brown hair over by one of the tents and bolted towards it. When his line of vision cleared he saw Cassie talking to Sir Alan outside his tent.

"Cassie!" he shouted, rushing towards her, she turned and smiled when she saw him. "Merlin, hey, what's up?" she asked.

"Can I talk to you?" he asked, then glancing up at Sir Alan who was fixing him with a death glare he added; "Alone?"

Cassie looked concerned "Yeah, sure. Alan, I'll see you during the tournament, good luck" she said turning briefly back to the knight who smiled at her warmly before returning to his tent.

Merlin took Cassie's arm and dragged her away from the tent "Cassie, that man is planning to murder you" he hissed to her when he had finally decided they were a safe enough distance from the tents.

Cassie rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips "Really Merlin? Arthur put you up to this didn't he? I cannot believe that prat!" she snapped, annoyance rather than fear taking over her emotions.

"No, he didn't" Merlin insisted "I heard with my own ears Sir Alan talking to his servant about killing you" he said, catching her wrist in his hand, "Cassie I need you to listen to me and believe me, please" he begged. She was the only one in Camelot who really understood him and he didn't want to lose her.

Cassie saw the wild look in his eyes and sighed "Okay Merlin, I'll be careful, we can talk about this later?" she asked more than said.

Relief lit his face and he nodded "Good" she smiled and held out her arm "Care to escort me to my seat?" she asked, her eyes sparkling. Merlin grinned and took her arm "Of course my Lady"

**XXX**

"We have to do something about that infuriating Prince and his good for nothing servant. The fake Sir Alan snarled, making even Henry flinch. The little man hobbled towards his master in silence holding out his helmet to ready him for the tournament. Henry didn't particularly like the man but in his condition he needed someone bigger than him to tag along with and if said someone planned to get rich by spending time with beautiful women he wasn't going to complain.

The man pretending to be Sir Alan stared at the helmet, an idea popping into his head "That's it Henry!" he said, snatching the helmet out of his confused servants hands "I'll kill him in the tournament! I can say it was an accident and mourn with the rest!" he smiled cruelly. Henry simply nodded and followed the man out of the tent.

The fights that day went by relatively quickly, both Arthur and Sir Alan winning every one. Gwen teased Cassie the whole time about which man she would have to accompany to the feast. "Well I'm sure you wouldn't mind going with Sir Alan, the two of you seem close after this morning" she pointed out.

Cassie smiled "Yeah, he's a good man" she agreed, watching him fight the rather ugly man and win easily. The truth was that Cassie found Sir Alan almost too good to be true, he said all the right things and was a perfect gentleman but he lacked that complex quality. Then there were Marlin and Arthur's warnings. In the beginning she just thought it was Arthur making up excuses to keep them apart because he was jealous but after Merlin had talked to her she couldn't be sure. But why would anyone want to kill her? She hadn't done anything and she had nothing to give.

That's when it hit her, she was a Princess here. Everyone thought she was heir to a huge fortune of money if not a throne back in some country across a huge sea. She held back a groan, could Sir Alan really want her title and money? Cassie couldn't answer that yet but she vowed to herself to find out.

The final fight of the tournament was to be between Arthur and Sir Alan and Cassie wasn't sure what she was going to do. "Well you should go wish your knight good luck" Gwen prompted, smiling conspiratorially at her.

Cassie forced a smile of her own "No, I think I'll let them get on without luck" she said, leaning back in her seat and wishing she could close her eyes and disappear. The thought that this was her last day in Camelot had been weighing on her all day and she wanted to make the most of it, not just sit here in a box and watch two men she found herself caring about fight each other.

Arthur and Sir Alan stepped on to the field, both sets of blue eyes glistening with hate. They glared at each other long and hard as they stood on their ready positions. The noise of the crowd seemed to fall away as they prepared to fight for more than just the honor of winning. Cassie gripped the arms of her chair so tightly her knuckles turned white and her nails made indentations in the wood.

The second they were signaled to begin the two dove at each other. Sir Alan swung around to Arthur's left but the Prince neatly blocked it with his shield while coming around for an attack to Sir Alan's neck. He didn't care if he killed the man, he just wanted him gone and away from Cassie. Sir Alan dodged his shot and backed off for a brief second before lunging in again. The way he saw it, Arthur stood in his way of riches and titles and he had no problem killing the Prince, he would even enjoy it.

From her position in the box Cassie followed the fight, growing more nervous by the second. The two had eyes set to kill and she would not be surprised if this fight ended in someone's death, she just wasn't sure how she'd react. She had spent her morning getting to know Sir Alan and he was kind and funny and he seemed to understand her sarcasm, she liked him and if she was planning on sticking around there could be something between them. But Merlin told her he was a killer, she trusted Merlin with her biggest secret and he trusted her with his. He wouldn't lie to her about something that important she knew that for sure. But could he be wrong?

The fight in front of her was escalating and she found herself leaning forward with the rest of the crowd as the two knights hacked away at each other mercilessly. She could see from the corner of her eye how nervous Uther was as well and felt a little comfort in the fact that she wasn't alone in her state of panic.

Arthur swung his sword around at Sir Alan, nearly catching him in the face before the man ducked and sliced at Arthur's shoulder. The audience let out a collective gasp and Cassie almost stood up. It was a shallow cut and the Prince didn't even seem to notice as he took advantage of Sir Alan's position to sweep his feet out from under him while using his free hand to knock the knights sword just too far for him to reach. Sir Alan fell on his back and Arthur put a foot on his stomach, holding his sword at the mans neck, his eyes seething with anger and adrenaline. After a few seconds he calmed himself and took his foot off the fallen man to stand facing the royal box and bow to his father. He shoved his sword into the dirt to free is hands to wave to his people.

Everyone in the stands stood up clapping and cheering. Cassie slumped in her chair in relief that no one was killed, clapping softly as she met Arthur's eyes. He gave her a hard look and then turned to look up at his father.

As Arthur accepted his praise Sir Alan seethed with humiliation and fury, he pushed himself up, reaching for his sword. He was livid, the Prince had beaten him and ruined his plans and he was still alive to convince Cassie that he was a murderer. Without thinking he raised the sword and charged at the Prince from behind.

Cassie saw this and stood up immediately "Arthur, behind you!" she screamed to him, panic choking her voice. But the Prince heard, he grabbed his sword up from the dirt and turned to dodge out of the way, just as Sir Alan came hurtling at him. The Prince moved at the last second and Sir Alan stumbled past him. Arthur wasted no time, coming behind the man and stabbing him through the heart from behind. The audience was loud as they collectively gasped and tittered about the scene that had just unfolded in front of them.

Uther was furious, "Get that man off the field" he ordered some guards who came and loaded the body of the fake Sir Alan onto a stretcher. Gaius bustled about around them trying to help them get him off.

Cassie stepped to the edge of the box looking down at the Prince as he stepped forward. He looked her hard in the eyes and she forced a smile "You were right" she said quietly though she knew he could hear "I should have listened I'm sorry"

He lifted a gloved hand to place it on top of hers as she leaned them on the edge of the wooden box "Thank you, for the warning" he said, ignoring her apology. The two stood there just looking at each other until Uther began to publicly recognize his son's bravery.

**XXX**

The banquet held in honor of the tournament winner was huge. It was held in a secondary banquet hall seeing as the normal one was still undergoing serious repairs from the gargoyle incident. Arthur was supposed to make a late entrance when his father announced him and as he was escorting Lady Cassandra, she would enter late as well.

"A damn good thing we're supposed to be late because she's still not here" Arthur snapped to Merlin as he paced outside the doors to the hall.

"I'm sure she's on her way Sire" the warlock assured him, glancing up the steps behind him for any sign of the Princess. His jaw fell open as he saw Cassie finally descend them. She wore a midnight blue dress that hugged her body and draped around her shoulders with transparent fabric, her hair was elaborately curled to one side and a small silver tiara sat atop her head to signify her title. She stepped down slowly, stumbling on the last step before righting herself, clutching the banister.

"Damn heels" she muttered, picking up her dress just slightly so the two men could see her small feet adorned with silver high heels probably borrowed from Morgana. Merlin looked back at the Prince who had finally managed to shut his mouth but still stared at the Princess with wide eyes. And tonight she truly looked like a Princess. Maybe it was the tiara, or maybe the shoes but tonight everyone could easily see how well she would fit in at a royal court.

Seeing that Arthur was incapable of movement for the time being, Merlin stepped forward to offer the fake Princess his arm. She smiled at him and took it, still shorter than him even with the added few inches the heels gave her. He walked her over to Arthur who had finally recollected his brain enough to hold out his own arm. Cassie smiled and switched her hands to Arthur's arm while Merlin scurried off to inform another servant who would inform another servant who would inform Uther that they were ready.

"You look…" Arthur trailed off as he tried to think of a word to describe the way the Princess looked "There are no words, beautiful does not even begin to be enough" he said honestly.

Cassie looked up at him, her eyebrows raised "Thank you, but why are you suddenly so… flattering?" she asked.

"It's a simple fact, not a compliment" he said, turning his attention towards the doors where he could hear everyone fall silent, but his hand tightened on her own as she held his arm.

Uther announced them loudly and the two stepped up to the door as two guards swung it open. The two walked in to the room, slowly so everyone could admire their champion the Prince and the foreign Princess on his arm.

Someone dropped something and it clattered loudly against the stone floor. All was silent as everyone stared at the pair. The Prince was in full royal dress, his pale skin and hair contrasting the deep red of his cape. The exotic Princess was so different from the women in Camelot it was impossible not to notice her. Her skin was much tanner than was the fashion for women of the time and the black ink of her tattoos stood out clearly against it. The two couldn't look more different but at the same time, together, captured the attention of everyone in the room so completely, even the king was staring.

They took their places at the high table reserved for royalty, Morgana's usual seat taken up by one of the runner up knights who the King enjoyed talking to. Cassie sat next to Arthur who sat in his usual seat. As soon as the talking started up again the fake Princess laughed "That is always so hysterical, its as if we've grown six heads" she said quietly to the Prince next to her.

He couldn't help a little bit of a laugh himself "They aren't used to seeing such good looking people all the time" he agreed. He and Cassie didn't talk much the rest of the night as people became more and more drunk, the Prince included. He wasn't completely wasted, but he'd had enough wine to make him say and do things he normally would think twice about. It seemed that no matter how much Lady Cassandra drank, she never showed signs of the effects of alcohol. She'd had four goblets of wine, which was usually enough to reduce Morgana to a giggling mess but Cassie would barely feel the buzz. As a musician she spent a lot of time at parties and drank a lot, she had developed quite the alcohol tolerance over the years.

"Cassie" Arthur had kept a hold on her all night, a little paranoid after the whole fake Sir Alan incident. Henry had been caught and he confessed that the man he worked for had killed Sir Alan and stolen his seal of nobility in an attempt to come to Camelot to win the tournament and use Lady Cassandra for her title and money. He would be spending a long time in the dungeons.

"Yes?" she asked looking up at him. They were very close and his arm was securely around her waist, holding her there almost possessively. She chalked it up to paranoia and alcohol.

"Come with me" he whispered pulling her towards a door that led to a rarely used side corridor. She glanced around as they left the banquet hall, everyone was either too drunk or too preoccupied to notice the disappearance of the royal pair.

The corridor was dark and cool after the banquet hall and Cassie leaned back against the wall, fanning herself gently. "Thanks for that" she said to Arthur who was holding his crown as he messed with his hair. "It was hot as anything in there" she added, kicking off her high heeled shoes.

"Cassie" Arthur stepped forward taking her hands and staring her hard in the eyes. She swallowed; this was going to be serious.

"Yes?" she asked, her eyes wide as she pressed herself against the wall.

Arthur stepped forward again "I care about you Cassie. I realized today when you were in danger from that killer that I care about you" he said, saying more than he should because of the alcohol.

She forced a smile, though the fact that he was so close to her made her a bit nervous that he was going to kiss her. Something she had been hoping wouldn't happen since the first time he did it. She didn't want to know what that feeling was, much less act on it.

"Arthur I care about you too, you're a good man and a good friend, even if you can be a jerk to Merlin sometimes" she teased, trying to keep it light.

The Prince had other ideas. He leaned forward and she found herself wanting this, she knew she shouldn't but she wanted to kiss him, she wanted it bad. Then she remembered; it was her last night in Camelot. "No" she gently pushed him back "I can't" she said looking down.

He gripped her hands tighter "Cassie, don't tell me you don't feel something for me" he whispered, the intensity in his voice making her shiver.

"I don't" she mumbled, still staring down. "Look me in the eye and tell me you don't want this as much as I do and I won't bother you again" he said, pulling her hands up so he could lace their fingers together.

Cassie suppressed a groan, she couldn't do that because for some inexplicable reason she did want this as much as he did.

She looked up at him and the uncertainty in her eyes told him all he needed to know. He leaned down quickly and pressed his lips to hers, unlacing their fingers and letting one hand slide to the small of her back and the other one come to rest at her neck, holding her to him. She rested her hands on his chest, fisting the material of his shirt in her fingers and giving in to the feeling in her gut that told her to be happy. She kissed him hard, holding him there and being held to him until she couldn't breathe. She pulled back for air and as she did regained her senses.

Just this morning she had hated this man and now she was held in his arms, in some sketchy dark corridor on her last night back in time. This wasn't at all how she wanted anything to go. He was going to be _the_ King Arthur and sometime in the future he was going to marry _the_ Guinevere, her maid or not. Cassandra Hayes had no part in this legend and no part in this piece of history. She didn't belong here and she definitely didn't belong with Arthur.

She pushed him away "This is wrong, I can't" she said and turned to run down the corridor, leaving Arthur so shocked behind her he didn't even think to follow until she was gone.

Cassie stumbled through the castle barefoot, her heels still on the floor where Arthur had kissed her not minutes ago. She picked up the hem of her dress as she ran, so as not to trip on it. She wanted to put as much distance between herself and the banquet as possible.

Turning a corner she ran smack into someone. "Sorry" she said automatically before even realizing she'd crashed into Merlin.

"Cassie, are you alright?" he asked, concern written all over his face.

She nodded, pulling herself together. She was not the kind of girl who fell apart over a man, not matter how she felt about him. "I'm lost, can you take me back to my room? I'm really tired" she said.

Merlin nodded, still not sure whether she was actually alright or not. But he led her up to her room anyway. When they reached the doors to her chambers she stopped and turned to him. "Thank you so much for everything Merlin" she said "You're the best friend I've had here and one day you'll be a great warlock". Then she did something more surprising, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. He was used to the fact that she didn't treat him like a servant so he put his arms around her too and hugged her back, but something was wrong with this picture and he couldn't quite place it.

Then she let go and disappeared into her room, leaving the confused boy outside to shrug and walk away to go help clean up the banquet.

In her room Cassie put on her jeans and shrug tee that she had worn the day she ended up in Camelot. She pulled on her socks and combat boots and packed up her messenger bag. She held her guitar tightly and sat on her bed, waiting to go home.

Tears filled her eyes as she thought of all the friends she'd made in Camelot and all the fun times they'd had. She lay back against the pillows and closed her eyes to try to remember everything that had happened.

Cassie was tired and she felt the little bit of wine she'd had beginning to kick in. Slowly, as she lay there, she felt sleep claim her.

**A/N numero dos: This was a cliffhanger. I'm sure you all wanna know what happens. Reviews make me update faster :)**


	16. Chapter 16: Of Dreams Dragons and Ribs

**A/N:** I am so SO sorry this took so long! My dad was in the hospital and I've been working all week so I'm sorry I didn't get to this sooner but here it is!

**XXX**

Cassie followed Morgana through the dark castle, calling out Arthur's name, searching for him. They stumbled through the darkness, frantic and desperate, trying to find him before it was too late.

They rounded a corner to see Merlin, he raised his hands and shrugged in a helpless gesture and the three continued on in the darkness calling out Arthur's name, their panic mounting.

Then the warning bells began to toll, the three froze and turned to each other, horror mirrored on all of their faces. Then someone screamed from nearby, a terrible, horrified scream that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

Cassie sat straight up in bed, her head spinning from the recurring nightmare. That was the first time she'd been able to tell who's name they were shouting. It was Arthur.

Then it hit her; she was no longer supposed to be in Camelot. She whipped her head in all directions looking at her surroundings. She was in her room in the castle, her guitar lay on the large bed next to her and her bag was sitting on the floor where it had probably fallen during the night. Sunlight streamed through the windows and Cassie smiled, she was still in Camelot.

She jumped off her bed, the huge grin still spread across her face "I'm here!" she announced loudly to the empty room. "I have to tell Merlin!" she decided and without thinking ran out of the room, her shoes sounding loudly on the stone floors as she raced up to Gaius's room.

She burst through the door grinning like mad "I'm still here!" she shouted, making Gaius look up from the breakfast he was making in alarm.

"My Lady?" he asked, confusion knitting his brow. Cassie ignored him and bounded up the stairs to Merlin's room. She threw open the door, startling the previously sleeping boy.

"Merlin! I'm still here!" she said bouncing over to the edge of his bed as he sat up, as confused as Gaius. "What?" he mumbled, rubbing sleep out of his eyes.

"I wasn't supposed to be here after last night but I'm still here, I don't have to leave!" she said, still excited. As much as she missed her family she loved Camelot and she knew she had unfinished business here.

"Lady Cassandra, why don't you join us for breakfast and explain what this is all about?" Gaius suggested appearing at the doorway to Merlin's tiny room.

Cassie deflated slightly, she realized that neither of them had any idea what she was talking about, they didn't know about the dream with Alex or the strange nightmares she'd been having. They simply thought she had lost her mind and run through the castle in men's clothes to inform them that she was still here when they had no reason to believe she wouldn't be.

"Yeah, that's a good idea" she admitted following the old man down to his room. Merlin pulled on a different shirt and followed the two down into Gaius's chambers.

The old physician made the three of them breakfast and Cassie explained everything, how she had been at her brothers grave when she was sent to Camelot and about the dream where Alex told her she'd be there for sixty days. She left out the nightmare she'd just woken up from that morning. For all she knew it was just her overactive imagination acting up as usual.

When she was finished Merlin was excited but Gaius wasn't "My lady, while that is very exciting news we really should be trying to figure out how to get you home" he pointed out, effectively bursting Cassie's bubble.

"Shit, you're right. We need to know why I'm here and what I need to change" she agreed. Merlin started to nod as well, he agreed that someone had to figure out why this strange girl had been dumped into Camelot.

"Unfortunately I have duties to attend to, so the two of you are on your own" he said, giving Merlin a hard look. Gaius knew the young warlock in his charge went to visit the great dragon to ask for advice quite often. He didn't always approve of it but this was a matter the dragon should know more about than he did.

"Yeah, you go ahead, I don't wanna be a pain" Cassie said, giving him a grateful look and scooped up another spoon full of oatmeal.

Gaius turned to leave but then turned back to the two "Oh and Cassie," he said using her nickname "You may want to get properly dressed" he gave her attire a pointed look.

Cassie looked down at her jeans, t-shirt and combat boots and bit her lip "Probably a good idea" she agreed, standing up. Gaius smiled and left to go begin distributing medicines.

"Cassie, don't come back here when you're changed. Meet me by the stairs to the dungeons" Merlin told her, stopping as he shoveled oatmeal into his own mouth. Cassie nodded and disappeared out the door.

**XXX**

"Are you sure we can find help down _here_?" Cassie asked twenty minutes later as they stood at the gates to the steps that led to the Great Dragon's prison. "Wouldn't the library be a better bet?"

Merlin shook his head "No, if anyone can tell us what's going on someone down here can" he said, pulling the torch out of its bracket on the wall and leading the way down the dark steps. "Now don't panic when you see him okay?" Merlin said as they stopped at the end of the stairs. Cassie raised her eyebrows in suspicion but said nothing. The two stepped out into the massive cavern "I need your help!" Merlin called out, making Cassie look at him, her eyebrows still raised.

She had almost given up on anything happening when a huge creature flew down to perch on an elevated part of the cavern. "Holy shit, that's a dragon. That's a fucking dragon. This is legit, holy crap" Cassie said, backing up a few steps in her surprise. She had been living in Camelot long enough to know that there was magic and evil but _dragons_? That was uncharted territory and she was going to have a hard time getting that down.

The great dragon laughed at the girls reaction, a deep throaty sound that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. "Cassandra Hayes" it said, still chuckling "You have never seen a dragon before I presume?" it asked.

"Seen a dragon?" she asked incredulously "Dude, where I come from you don't even exist" she informed him. The great dragon laughed again "Oh we do, but your people are too blinded to see us" he said cryptically.

Cassie furrowed her brow "Does he always talk like this?" she whispered to Merlin who simply nodded.

"We need your help" Merlin told the dragon, stepping to the edge of the outcropping of rock they were on and relating everything Cassie had told him and Gaius that morning to the dragon.

"Hm, you were brought here to change history you say?" it asked, now addressing Cassie.

"Yup" she answered, popping the P and twirling a lose strand of hair around her finger the way she did when she was thinking.

"Then the answer is clear" the great dragon decided "You have not changed history yet"

Cassie made her thinking face as she considered the theory. It made sense, she was here to do something but she hadn't done it yet so she got to stay. "You're probably right, thanks man" she said continuing to think "Okay so, what do I have to do to change history?" she asked.

The Great Dragon chuckled "You cannot know what your future and their future holds" he told her.

She huffed out a breath and glared at him, her annoyance and confusion burning in her stare. "So how am I supposed to know when I get to go home?" she snapped, sick of his cryptic answers.

"For that you must speak with your brother" it said, matter-of-factly, as is she wasn't in a time years before her brother was born and had died.

"My brother's dead" she informed it, ice in her voice. Merlin felt himself flinch, he knew how much the loss of her brother pained Cassie and he hated that she was being forced to go through this.

The Great Dragon leaned its head towards her "You must go to a place you feel close to him then" it said then took off, flying up to an alcove high above them where it slept.

"But where could that be?" Cassie called after him. She was years back in time in a foreign place all alone. There was nothing here that could remind her of Alex. She sighed heavily and turned to go.

Merlin turned to follow her but was called back by the dragons voice "Remember young warlock, you promised to set me free" it insisted and Cassie felt herself frown. As much as the dragon had told them, it probably wasn't the best idea to let it go flying around Camelot as it pleased. Uther just _might_ have a heart attack.

Merlin only nodded at the empty cave before turning and following Cassie back up the stairs to the dungeons and then back up to the main floor of the castle in silence, thinking almost the same thing she was.

**XXX**

Arthur crept along silently through the woods, his crossbow in hand as he stalked some kind of creature. He had needed to get his mind off things; namely Cassie's strange reaction to their kiss the night before. She had wanted him as much as he wanted her, he had seen the look she gave him. He just didn't understand why she had pushed him away.

He continued along, following the barely discernable noises coming from ahead in the fog. He hoped he was tracking a large animal and from the looks of the prints it was a bear. He focused his thoughts on the hunt, creeping towards the sounds of the large animal. He could just see the outline of it in the fog. It was crouched over something, tearing at it with clawed hands and teeth.

The creature Arthur was tracking was a bear alright, but it was bigger than any bear he'd ever seen. It stood at least fifteen feet tall on its hind legs and its claws and teeth were like swords, tearing at what looked to be a deer.

The crossbow he held was not going to fell this thing, without taking his eyes off it, he reached a hand back towards the two guards he had with him. One of them placed the large spear in his hand and he hefted it easily, ready to throw it. In one smooth motion he drew his arm back and lanced the spear at the bear, hitting it right in the back where it's heart was

The bear roared in pain and turned towards the Prince and his guards, its wide eyes red all around the dilated pupils. This was no ordinary bear. It roared again before dropping onto all fours and lunging towards them with a speed surprising for such a large animal.

"Run!" Arthur shouted and he and his guards took off. The Prince was faster than the other two, and stretched ahead of them as the bear gained on them. They were within sight of Camelot now and came hurtling out of the forest just as Arthur heard a cry of pain from behind him. He whirled to see the bear ripping one of the guards in half and winced. He grabbed the other guard's arm just as the bear clawed at his leg. The prince jerked him away as the guard yelped out in pain.

His leg was bleeding badly but the guard continued to run with Arthur. The massive bear was still gaining on them, the spear in its back not deterring it at all. It slashed out with a claw once and caught Arthur painfully in the side, ripping its talons between his lower ribs. The Prince cried out as he felt the pain shoot through his side.

Distantly he could see several knights riding towards them, their spears at the ready but then his vision blurred as the guard he was with pulled him towards the castle. He vaguely felt himself running despite the blood gushing from his ribcage and just as his blurry vision saw the gate he passed out, everything fading slowly and painfully to black.

**XXX**

Cassie sat with her guitar in her lap strumming it absently as she stared out the window of her room, trying to think of someplace that would remind her of Alex. She was drawing a blank. There were a hundred places back home she could think of; their basement where they had watched countless movie marathons and played video games on rainy weekends; central park where her brother liked to go and take candid pictures of picnickers or children trying to feed to ducks; the venue where she and her band had played their first gig and Alex had stood off to the side cheering and giving her a thumbs up whenever she looked over at him; the tiny playground outside the elementary school a few blocks from their house where Alex had always gone when he was angry; the beach house their family and Ryan's had rented every summer where she and Alex had gotten up early to go watch the sun come up over the Atlantic. She pushed the guitar off her lap, tears filling her eyes and stood up. Thinking about how much she missed him was not going to help her. She needed to figure out what the great dragon meant when he said find someplace that reminded her of him.

She was still thinking when Merlin burst through the door, out of breath and eyes wide with panic "It's Arthur" he panted and Cassie immediately straightened, hanging off his every word "Come on" he managed out before turning and leading the way out of the room, Cassie not two steps behind.

He led her up towards Arthur's room and she found herself growing wary "Merlin what's this about?" she asked, she did remember that she had rejected him again last night and she had hoped he'd forgotten about it.

"He's been hurt" Merlin told her, quickening his pace as Cassie froze behind him. "He's what?" she asked, shock holding her to the ground.

"He was hunting and a bear attacked him" Merlin said turning to grab her hand and pull her along.

"Is he okay?" she asked, her voice shooting up two octaves in her panic. Merlin nodded and swung open the doors to Arthur's chambers. Uther and Gaius stood over the Prince's bed as he slept. He wore no shirt and Cassie could see the bloody bandages wrapped around his mid torso.

Gaius and Uther looked up as the two entered, both registering the horrified expression on the fake Princess's face. "It is only a flesh wound, no vital organs were damaged, but he needs rest and when he wakes up he has to be given this" Gaius held up the potion for Uther, Merlin and Cassie to see, as if he knew they would be the ones staying with him.

Uther nodded and pulled a chair next to his son's bed "I will stay with him" he said, his voice raw with sadness and worry. Gaius placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder before walking over to pull Merlin out of the room. Cassie stared another second at the Prince before turning to go as well. Uther's voice stopped her "Lady Cassandra" he said to her.

She turned and nodded her head at him "My Lord" she joined him at Arthur's bedside, watching as the Prince's face twisted in pain as he slept.

"You care about my son no?" the King inquired. Cassie nodded mutely, tearing her eyes away from Arthurs face. "I know that he also cares a great deal for you" he said, still looking at his son "I only hope that he will be alright and I know you share my pain" he reached out and took Arthur's hand, squeezing the cold fingers between his own.

Cassie placed a hesitant hand on his shoulder "Arthur is strong my lord, he will pull through this. I know, he will" she reassured him. Uther sat straighter in his chair and Cassie let her hand fall "Thank you Lady Cassandra" he said, his tone effectively ending the moment of kindness between the two and communicating his wish for her to get out.

She could take a hint, so with one last pained look at the Prince she left his room. She wandered aimlessly around the castle singing to herself softly "While my sandcastles fall like the ashes of cigarettes and every wave drags me to sea."

Last night she had pushed Arthur away, not because it wasn't what she wanted but because she thought she had mere hours left in Camelot. That deadline had been extended indefinitely and that fact could still be true at any moment. But since she had no way of knowing when she would leave she planned to make the best of every minute she had.

Passing a window and noticing that the sun was beginning to droop in the sky, she decided it was her turn to keep the unconscious Prince company. She hurried towards his chambers and knocked gently before entering.

Gaius sat in the chair Uther had occupied that morning, nearly falling asleep. "Gaius" Cassie smiled as she approached him.

The old physician sat up straight and looked around "Lady Cassandra" he said, smoothing out his robes and pretending like he hadn't just been dozing off.

"Let me take over for a while Gaius" she said coming to stand behind him in his chair. Arthur looked to be in more pain than before and her heart squeezed. "He needs rest" Gaius insisted. Cassie rolled her eyes "And so do you, go" she encouraged as the old man got out of his chair.

"Make sure you give him that when he wakes up" he reminded her, pointing to the vial on the table next to Arthur's bed as Cassie all but shoved him out the door.

Once Gaius was headed back towards his chambers for a nap Cassie returned to Arthur's bedside, sitting in the chair that Gaius had just vacated. She kept her eyes on the Prince's pained face as she took his cold hand, holding it with both her own in an effort to keep his fingers warm. He let out a pained groan in his sleep and Cassie felt miserable. She held his hand up in hers and brushed her lips across his knuckles murmuring apologies in Spanish "_Lo siento, lo siento mucho, eso es mi culpo, todo eso, lo siento._" She felt the tears she had been holding in since the night before fill her eyes again and begin to spill over.

If she hadn't rejected him last night he never would have gone hunting that morning and he never would have been hurt. The logical part of her mind told her that the massive super-bear that had actually slashed up his side was the one responsible but she couldn't help feel like it was her fault.

She scooted the chair closer to the bed and laid her head down on it, her hands and his propping it up as sort of a pillow. She looked up at Arthur as he slept, sometimes his expression almost peaceful and other times scrunched in silent pain from the wound in his side. She tried her hardest to keep her tear-blurred eyes open but exhaustion overtook her and she soon fell into an uneasy sleep.

**XXX**

Arthur awoke in immense pain. His side burned as if pressed to hot coals and for a few seconds that was all he could feel. He forced his eyes open and took in his surroundings as the pain began to fade enough for him to think about something else. He was in his bed all bandaged up and someone was holding his hand. He looked down to see with a shock, that a sleeping Cassie was clutching his hand in hers and resting her head on it. The black liner she usually wore around her eyes was smudged and trailed down her face in faded black lines. After a second he realized she must have been crying. He frowned, wondering what had her so upset, could it be him?

He must have moved slightly because Cassie jolted awake, she looked around frantically before freezing as she saw that he was awake. "Oh, you're up" she said, a little of her disorientation resonating in her tone "Gaius said to give you this, it should put you back to sleep" she said pulling her hands away to reach for a vial on the bedside table.

Arthur shook his head and recaptured one of her hands with his, though the movement sent fire through his side "I don't want to sleep anymore" he said looking her hard in the eyes. She held his gaze for a second before pulling her hand away and going for the bottle anyway. Arthur rolled his eyes, if nothing else she was stubborn.

"I'm not going to sit here and watch you be in pain, it makes me feel awful" she said uncorking the bottle and holding it out to him.

He raised an eyebrow "Why would you feel awful?" he asked, ignoring the part of him that longed for the bottle of potion that would let him sleep blissfully pain free for another few hours.

She looked down at her lap "Because you went out this morning because you were mad at me" she said quietly then looked back up at him a harder glint in her eye "By the way, if you ever do this to me again I will kill you myself" she informed him and he didn't doubt it.

Arthur smiled "So you do care" he teased, hoping she could forget what he'd done when he was drunk the night before and let them be at least friends.

But Cassie's face was all serious. She got up from her chair and sat gingerly on the bed, careful not to move him as she let all her weight down on the edge. Holding his hand tightly in one of her own, she leaned down towards him and kissed him gently. Arthur responded immediately, bringing up his good arm to place a hand at the back of her neck to hold her to him, praying she wouldn't back away.

After a few seconds though she pulled back, smiling a sad and pained smiled "Sorry bout that" she said, leaning all the way back up. He thought he could see the faintest of blushes tingeing her tan skin a dark rose color that looked simply gorgeous on her.

He used his good arm to wrap around her waist and slide her across his lap to his other side, so she sat on the bed all the way with him on the side that wasn't injured. Her legs lay across his and his good arm held her tightly to his side as she stared down at him. "Don't be sorry Cass, never say you're sorry for that" he said, watching the small smile light up her features at his shortened version of her nickname.

She leaned down again and kissed him harder this time, all her happiness and sadness flowing between them until she was out. Arthur was in incredible pain but he felt on top of the world as Cassie settled into his side, laying next to him on top of the blankets of his bed, her head resting on his bare shoulder.

"I'm sorry" she murmured.

Arthur rolled his eyes, which hurt, but he ignored it, "And I forgive you for everything" he assured her, holding her tighter to him.

"You need to sleep" she changed topics.

"I don't want that potion" he argued "Knowing Gaius and his potions it tastes horrible and I don't want to have that taste in my mouth while I sleep" he said, fighting a yawn as he said it.

She sighed heavily and sat up "But you still need to sleep" she insisted. He rolled his eyes "Fine I'll fall asleep on my own" he told her. She raised her eyebrows at him and he knew had she been standing up her weight would be shifted to one side and her hands would be placed firmly on her hips in her 'I don't think so' stance. Then an idea came to him "You can sing me to sleep" he said smiling at the memory of the last time he'd heard her sing. He loved her voice and wished she'd sung at every banquet they had in Camelot.

She sighed and sat up straight, pulling her legs into her and crossing them under her. She took his hand and stared down at him, thinking. Then she smiled "My mom used to sing this to me when I was little, it usually put me right to sleep" she told him then began to sing "_A la nanita nana nanita ella nanita ella, mi niño tiene sueno bendito sea, bendito sea_."

Arthur let his eyes droop closed, and listened to her sing. The song was soft and slow and the strange words seemed to lull him closer and closer to sleep.

Cassie continued to sing softly and finally felt Arthur's hand loosen its hold on hers. His breathing evened out and she could tell he was asleep. Smiling she crawled off the bed and came round the other side to pick up the potion Gaius had left for him. She quietly uncorked the bottle and leaned over the prince to pour several drops into his mouth. Doctor's orders.

Spanish Translations

_Lo siento, lo siento mucho, eso es mi culpo, todo eso, lo siento: _I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. This is my fault, all of it, I'm sorry.

_A la nanita nana nanita ella nanita ella, mi niño tiene sueno bendito sea, bendito sea: _This is actually a Spanish lullaby that my mom used to sing to me when I was little. The direct translation makes no sense so I won't include it but you can look it up on youtube to hear how the song sounds. There's more to it that I didn't include.


	17. Chapter 17: Only One Thing For It

**A/N:** SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SOOOOOOOOOO sorry. My dad had surgery and I was away living with my aunt and visiting colleges and then I had writers block and then it was just bad cause I was working and taking care of my dad and it was bad BUT I FINALLY FINISHED THIS! And I'm proud of it. and I'll be better I promise. So thank you to the darlings who reviewed I love you and without further ado here is the next chapter!

**XXX**

Merlin smiled absently as he watched Arthur chase Cassie around the training grounds. The Prince had been back in training for a few days now, with minimal pain in his side and was almost completely recovered. Cassie had stayed with him almost constantly, they talked and she walked with him around the castle while he was recovering. The two obviously cared for each other and everyone in Camelot was in a better mood for it. Even Uther could be seen watching the pair with a smile.

He watched as Arthur finally caught the Princess around the waist, swinging her in a circle. "Okay, okay, I surrender!" Cassie laughed when he finally put her down, still holding her to his chest. He laughed as well and leaned down to kiss her quickly.

Cassie hadn't been this happy in a long time. She was surrounded by people who cared about her and they were all happy. And most of all she had Arthur. He hadn't been thrilled about taking a slow recovery but she spent most of every day with him telling him about her home and singing for him and listening to his and Merlin's stories of their strange misadventures.

"Come on, you're supposed to be training your men soon and apparently I'm a distraction" she teased, taking his hand and pulling him over to where Merlin stood by the assembly of swords and shields and other weapons.

"But I don't mind you being distracting" Arthur smiled and slid his arm around her waist. She laughed loudly, letting her head fall back slightly as she did. She pushed a stray piece of honey brown hair behind her ear "And that is precisely why I can't stay" she leaned up and kissed him softly before slipping out off his arms and walking back towards the castle "I'll see you later" she called back over her shoulder and continued towards the castle as the knights began to arrive for their daily training.

Arthur smiled after her "She's something, isn't she?" he asked Merlin. The young warlock snickered "Yes sire, definitely something" he said, hiding his grin behind his hand, but the Prince was too lost in thought to notice.

**XXX**

Cassie stood watching the men train out her window, a tiny part of her mind focused on how Arthur moved so smoothly in his deadly dance on the battlefield. The rest of her mind was racing through ideas of places that she could go to think of Alex. There were no basements in Camelot, except the dungeons but they weren't quite what she was thinking of. There was no central park or park of any kind that she could go to. There were certainly no concert venues or playgrounds and there were no beaches. Then it hit her. Beaches. She jumped up, Camelot was theoretically in England, which was an island, meaning that there had to be a beach somewhere.

Tearing out of her room at top speed, she headed towards Gaius's chamber to tell Merlin before remembering he was down on the training field with Arthur. Changing directions, she ran towards the room of the other person in Camelot she confided in. "We are going to the beach!" she announced bursting into the room, not bothering to knock. Gwen looked up from the bed she was making. Morgana was nowhere in sight but Cassie didn't miss a beat "Well you're coming too, but I was looking for Morgana" she laughed.

Gwen smiled at the smaller girls antics "Why would we go to a beach?" she asked. People in Camelot didn't go to the beach, men swam in rivers and occasionally the lake and girls sometimes snuck out to spy on them but that was the closest they got to a body of water. Never mind getting the unfashionable tan that Cassie wore so well. Maybe where she was from, people spent time at the beach but not in Camelot.

"Because it's the beach…why wouldn't you want to go?" Cassie stared at her, confusion written across her face. Clearly where she came from people did go to the beach for fun.

"It's just not quite normal here" Gwen said slowly. She finished with the bed and began lumping the dirty sheets into the laundry basket. Almost instinctively Cassie moved to help her. Gwen raised an eyebrow "And helping servants isn't quite normal here either" she said letting a smile creep on to her face.

Cassie grinned back at her and slung an arm around the servant girls shoulders "But you wouldn't love me as much if I was normal" she teased "Now where is that infuriating girl I came looking for to drag to the beach?" she continued, still joking.

"Let's go find her shall we?" Gwen offered, Cassie's infectious lightheartedness spreading.

**XXX**

"But why?" Uther asked, staring down at his ward and his guest in confusion. Morgana had loved the idea, getting out of the castle and breathing in the sea air and possibly even getting her feet wet all sounded so appealing to her, she had dragged Cassie to ask the King immediately.

"I spent a lot of time by the ocean as a child and going now might help to ease my homesickness" Cassie told him, eyes wide and pleading. It wasn't entirely a lie, she had spent time by the ocean and it probably would make her miss Alex a little less if she felt close to him, even if she was on the wrong side of the Atlantic.

Uther sighed, looking between the two expectant girls, "You will take a full guard with you and at least one knight" he decided.

The two broke into smiles, and even Gwen who stood far behind them grinned. "Can we bring Arthur?" Morgana asked, shooting a sly smile at her friend. It had been no secret that the Prince and Princess had grown close during his recovery period and even the King suspected them of feelings for each other.

Cassie gave Morgana a playful glare "I wouldn't want to take him from his duties" she said. She did want Arthur to come but that didn't mean the whole court had to know about it.

Uther gave her a knowing smile "Arthur has a knighthood to bestow tomorrow afternoon, but when he is done he will ride out to meet you. I think a little sea air would be good for him" he decided and that was that.

**XXX**

The next morning Cassie stood in the courtyard having a stare down with her horse. "You know it's probably just as annoyed by you as you are by it" Arthur's voice said in her ear. She turned to him and made a face. He laughed and pressed kiss to her cheek.

She pushed him gently away "Hey, come on, not in public" she said quietly, her hand still resting on his chest.

Arthur frowned down at her "And why can't they know?" he asked.

She sighed "Because we're royalty and relationships are complicated when it comes to us" she said.

"So?"

"I just don't want people to get the wrong impression" she hedged.

Arthur moved around in front of her and put his hands on her hips "There is no wrong impression to give, I care about you more than I can say and I know you care about me too" he said "And I'll tell the world if you'd let me"

Cassie smiled at him and reached her arms up around his neck to hug him "I'll see you tonight" she whispered kissing him quickly and pulling out of his arms as Uther descended the stairs to see them off.

Morgana and Gwen were already atop their horses, smiling down at Arthur and Cassie who had become their favorite couple. Uther bid them a quick farewell and the Prince helped Cassie onto her horse and they rode off.

They headed west and Cassie, Morgana and Gwen rode next to each other in a circle of guards talking and laughing while Cassie told them stories of her childhood by the beach. She made Ryan's family her own because they practically were and it made things simpler.

They rode for most of the day and just as the sun was beginning to dip lower in the sky Cassie grinned "Look" she pointed at the sky, which at least to her looked slightly lighter and clearer. The air smelled faintly of salt and the bark on the trees was smooth and white, all signs that the terrain was changing and they were nearing the ocean.

"What?" Morgana asked looking to the sky along with everyone else, searching for whatever the Princess was pointing to.

"The sky is lighter and bigger, we're close" Cassie told them. The others looked around the empty woods, searching for signs that they could be close.

One of the knights noticed the change in the trees and nodded approvingly at the Princess "You are right my lady, perhaps an hour's ride more and we will be upon the ocean" he agreed.

Cassie's grin stretched wider as they rode through the woods. "Listen!" one of the guards hissed and the entire company froze. The previously silent forest was no longer silent and the sounds of people could be heard.

Suddenly a loud battle cry went up and men raced out from behind the trees. There had to be at least thirty of them, outnumbering the party from Camelot two to one. The guards and knights all drew their swords and after a second of shock Cassie and Morgana followed suit.

The bandits- for they could be nothing else- attacked ruthlessly, outnumbering the guards and felling them with swift but brute blows. They quickly killed all but the knights and the women who held their hands up in surrender.

One of the bandits stepped forward, smiling to display his yellow, cracked teeth "Well, well. I see two knights, the king's ward and if I'm not mistaken The Princess Cassandra" he said, his voice gruff and slurred. "Your highness" he mock bowed at Cassie who gave him a look of such contempt that his smile slipped a notch.

"What do you want with us?" one of the knights, Sir Frederick, asked.

The bandit widened his smile again "Oh you see the four of you will make me a hefty gain. Two young men of noble families, the kings ward and a Princess, there will be very rich people willing to pay large sums of money to see you home safe" he sneered then turned his gaze on Gwen, who stood trembling between Cassie and Morgana. "And who is this?" he sneered at her "I don't recognize you, young lady, a servant perhaps?" he began to pace around her, drawing his sword.

Morgana automatically threw her arms around the other girl protectively "She's not a servant" she lied, glaring hard at the man "She is my lady in waiting, a girl from a noble family who would gladly pay to see her home safe" she said, glancing at Gwen to make sure she went along with the lie.

Gwen looked at her mistress with nervous eyes but nodded almost imperceptibly.

The bandit clapped his hands and smiled gleefully "Wonderful, five hostages, why I would say it's my lucky day!" he announced re-sheathing his sword.

At some unseen cue, the bandits stepped forward with ropes to bind the hands of their prisoners. Morgana gave them a glare full of ice and Gwen kept her chin in the air as they tied her wrists together.

The ring leader approached Cassie with a grin on his face and a length of rope in one of his gnarled, dirty hands and his sword in the other. "Don't even think about touching me, you filthy little bastard" she hissed through clenched teeth.

His eyes flared and he raised the hand with the sword and backhanded her across the face with it, the hilt coming in painful contact with her cheek. The force of the blow sent Cassie to her knees. She tasted blood in her mouth and felt more of it dripping down her cheek from the thin cut the man's ring had opened there. "_Pendejo_" she spat and stood up again glaring at the man with defiance in her eyes despite the throbbing in her cheek.

The man who had looked rather pleased with himself glared at her again. He reached forward and grabbed the braid she had her hair in and yanked it back exposing her neck, he placed the cool edge of the sword to it and pressed gently, not enough to make her bleed but enough to make a point.

Another bandit grabbed her hands roughly behind her back and tied them there, far too tight for comfort.

The ring leader used her hair to pull her closer to him and whispered in her ear "If you keep making trouble, I _will_ kill you, I don't care who you are, I'll slit your throat and collect the ransom anyway" he hissed.

Cassie glared straight ahead and pretended she hadn't heard him. The man made a noise of annoyance before throwing her to the ground again and stomping off. "I want the hostages spaced apart and they're walking back to camp" he snapped and strutted off.

**XXX**

After a few hours walk through the thick and rapidly darkening woods Morgana was thoroughly tired and sore, Gwen was in much the same condition. The two both sagged and stumbled frequently, their feet hurt and their hair had tumbled out of the styles they had it in and little cuts covered their faces and arms from the branches that whipped into their faces.

Sir Frederick and Sir Henry walked in front of them stoically, their faces grim and their heads bowed. For men who were supposed to be Camelot's finest they had failed in their mission to protect the Princess and the Lady Morgana. So far the women had been the only ones to protect anyone and they hadn't been able to do anything when the bandit hit Lady Cassandra.

The Lady in question walked along with her head high and her face defiant. The thick soled combat boots she wore protected her feet and though her cheek was now badly bruised she looked completely comfortable.

Finally they came to a stop in front of an old crumbling stone fort tucked into the woods. It looked like it had been abandoned many years ago but now was re-inhabited by the group of bandits. Men looked down from the top of it, glaring along their crossbows at the party on its way in. Their faces betrayed confusion at the sight of the knights from Camelot and the Ladies straggling along behind them.

"Call everyone to the main hall, I'm going to introduce our guests" the ring leader commanded, turning a sneer to his captives who all glared at him, resent in their eyes, his smiled widened and he turned back to lead them towards the fort.

They were thrown into a large, high ceilinged room filled with dirty degenerates. The men who had come in with them forced the captives onto their knees and stood behind them, one for each prisoner, feet shoulder width apart and hands clasped behind their backs like soldiers of a grimy army.

The ring leader stepped forward and began to pace along the line of captives before turning his face to the men that filled the room "Gentlemen, we have some very important guests with us today" he started. The men around the room leered down at the nobles from Camelot. "Sir Frederick and Sir Henry, The Lady Morgana, The Lady Guinevere and The Lady Cassandra, who just happens to be a princess" the ring leader introduced each of his captives all who winced at their names except Cassie who held her bruised head high and stared at a spot on the wall just above the heads of the filthy degenerates that filled the room.

Applause echoed off the high ceiling as did the whistles, taunts and cat-calls for the ladies. At some silent order from the ring leader the men behind the captives hauled them up and toted them off down a long hallway and a set of stairs to a dirty dungeon. They shoved the knights into a cell with another man, hunched in the corner and the ladies in the cell next to them, a small grate in between the cells allowed for them to communicate.

As the guards ambled off Gwen finally broke down, letting the tears that had slowly been filling her eyes pour out. Morgana wrapped her arms around the smaller girl, her own eyes filled with tears as she rocked her back and forth making soft 'Shh'ing noises.

The man in the cell next to them looked up as the knights rose to their feet. The man had dark hair that was cut shorter since he had left Camelot and the chainmail he wore was old and torn in a few places but in otherwise good condition. He had a small thin scar on his left cheekbone but instead of making him look menacing the scar made him look dashing and courageous. He observed the newcomers with wary eyes and a stolid expression on his handsome face. "What are your names?" he asked finally and the knights turned to him.

Sir Henry, the younger and more hot-headed of the two glared at the man still sitting in the corner "You have no need to know my name" he said, the disdain in his voice obvious.

The man in the corner quirked a brow but said nothing at the knight's rudeness. Sir Frederick shot a reproving look at Sir Henry and turned to the strange man "My name is Sir Frederick, knight of Camelot, and that is Sir Henry, ignore him please, he's very impolite" the older knight apologized.

The man in the corner let a barely perceptible smile slide onto his face "It is a pleasure to meet you Sir Frederick, though I wish it was under better circumstances. My name is Lancelot…" he started to say something else but was cut off.

"_Lancelot?_" Gwen launched herself out of Morgana's arms and stood on tiptoe to press her face to the tiny grate in between the two cells.

Lancelot looked up at the grate for the source of the noise but the shadows were too thick for him to discern anything other than the fact that she was a woman, something he could have been told by her voice. He stood and walked towards the grate, gasping in surprise when he realized whose face stared out at him from behind it, "Gwen?" he asked as if it was almost too good to be true.

A large smile spread across her tearstained face as she nodded. He stepped closer to the grate so he could bring his face as close to her as possible.

"Gwen, who is that?" Morgana's voice asked from behind her. She turned her head to answer her mistress and Lancelot saw the other two women in the cell, The Lady Morgana, who he was not surprised to see there and another very beautiful woman with tan skin and long brown hair. She had a large purpling bruise on her cheek and a cut ran partway through it.

"This is Lancelot, he is a friend of Merlin's" Gwen explained and turned back to face him, cutting off his view of the other two.

"Why are you here?" he asked her, his concern finally winning over his happiness at seeing her again.

Gwen told him the whole story of how they were headed for the coast and were captured by the bandits. Lancelot gathered that the other woman was a Princess from a far off land named Cassie and he knew they were all in trouble. With a Princess and the kings ward the bandits could make a lot of money and not even have to give them back. He knew many kidnappers killed their captives whether or not they got the ransom.

"Well then there's only one option for it" he said after hearing her out. Everyone in both cells turned towards him. "We have to break out" he announced.

**XXX**

"Merlin why must you always ride _so slowly_?" Arthur snapped back at his servant. They were coming close to the coast and Arthur could wait to catch up to the party from Camelot. It made him nervous to see Morgana and especially Cassie go off without him. Camelot's knights were the finest there were and he knew that but he still worried about them, Cassie especially because of her tendency to act like a boy. Morgana had trained with a sword since a young age but when she got older Uther deemed it no longer proper and she gave it up, and she certainly didn't sneak out to go on quests. Cassie on the other hand…

"We've been riding all day" Merlin complained, bringing his horse up next to Arthurs. They had been riding hard since they left Camelot, determined to catch up with the ladies party before nightfall. It was already late and the sun was dyeing the sky hues of orange, red and gold as is sunk below the tree line.

"And we're going to keep riding until we catch up with them" the prince snapped and nudged his horse on a little faster. Merlin sighed and hung his head back before doing the same.

They continued riding, assuming that the party from Camelot had made camp on the beach and were waiting for them.

Arthur slowed as he came upon the scene of the attack, from far off he couldn't tell who had been attacked but a bad feeling was brewing in the pit of his stomach. He nudged his horse on, keeping an eye out for any leftover bandits that may have still been hiding, waiting to ambush anyone who came close enough but the forest was silent and empty.

Merlin saw the scene as well and felt his stomach churn with more than just trepidation. He had never been much for blood.

Arthur slid off his horse and stalked closer to the bodies of the guard that lay lifeless on the ground. "Merlin" he called out, his voice shaky. The warlock quickly dismounted and jogged over, realizing as he stopped at the princes side exactly why he was so upset.

The guard was the same one they had seen off that morning and they were all dead, laying on the ground in front of them. "Cassie and Morgana aren't here Arthur" Merlin said, his own worries soothed slightly by the realization, Gwen and the two knights were missing as well and he decided to take it as a good sign.

"This is why" Arthur said shoving a scrap of parchment at the servant, is teeth clenched. It was a ransom note, someone was holding Cassie, Morgana, Gwen and the knights captive and wanted money for them, all expected to be paid in three days.

"What are we going to do?" Merlin asked once he finished re-reading the note.

Arthur looked at him, steel in his blue eyes "We're going to get them" he decided.


	18. Chapter 18: The Great Escape

**A/N:** Wow it has been FOREVER! I could give you a million excuses, like the fact that my soccer season started at the end of august and JUST ended (county champs fourth year running) or the fact that I have to apply to college and I had two apps due today. And the fact that I hadn't seen a new Merlin episode in far too long. BUT you don't really care about excuses. So I am back. Yeah. This chapter's 11 pages and over five thousand words. Hope it kinda makes up for it. Yeah it probably won't but lemme know what you think! I'm a little rusty.

"Okay, nothing personal, but that is the worst plan I have ever heard" Cassie informed Lancelot, her hands on her hips.

The dark haired man gave her a look. He didn't understand her strange way of speaking or why she didn't approve of his plan but he decided he didn't like it, or her for that matter. "My Lady, the idea should work, its very simple" he said patiently.

Cassie made a face but gave in "Okay, fine, we'll try your plan" she sat down on the straw mattress that lay on the floor and crossed her arms. The men continued to discuss the plan and she huffed out an annoyed breath. She intensely disliked being left out of the planning of anything important and the idea of attacking the guard from within the cell was, at least in her opinion, a bad one. And the fact that the women were expected to stay in their cell until the knights and Lancelot had found a safe way out, was not increasing her liking for the idea either.

The men continued to talk, setting themselves up for their plan, Gwen's face pressed to the metal grate between the cells, as she hung off Lancelot's every word.

Morgana sat in silence staring off into space as she leaned against the wall of the cell. Cassie frowned, and ignored the pain that it caused in her cheek before going over to join her friend. "What's wrong?" she asked quietly, startling the other girl out of her trance.

Morgana forced a smile "Nothing" she said "I'm just a little worried about all of this."

Cassie raised her eyebrows, it was a lie and she knew it but she wasn't sure how to get the truth out of her friend. The dark haired girl's hands were shaking as she clasped and unclasped them in her lap and she seemed to be grinding her teeth together behind her lips. She was clearly very nervous about something.

Gwen finally moved away from the grate and joined them on the floor, "They're ready. It's important that we stay here and don't cause trouble" she whispered, automatically taking Morgana's shaking hands in hers and rubbing them as if to dispel cold.

The men in the cell next to them had grown silent and the three women held their breath in anticipation.

"Guard!" Sir Frederick shouted "Guard! Someone! That good-for-nothing you've got in here escaped!"

The sound of running footsteps echoed down the hall as a guard ran towards the cells. "What'd you say?" he asked in a gruff voice.

"The other prisoner escaped somehow!" Sir Henry complained.

The guard made a panicked noise and shoved the key into the lock on the cell door. After fiddling with it for a minute he threw open the door to the cell and stumbled in.

Then the men jumped into action. Lancelot, who had been hiding behind the door, jumped on him from behind putting him in a headlock. Sir Frederick yanked the man's sword from him and promptly hit him over the head with it.

The guard crumpled to the ground, the key falling out of his chubby hand and clanking on the stone floor.

"That was easy" Cassie muttered as the men shoved the guard into the back of the cell, binding and gagging him before shutting and locking the door.

Sir Henry's face pressed against the window at the door to their cell "We will find a way out and come back for you as soon as possible my ladies" he promised. And with that all three were gone.

Cassie rolled her eyes. Typical men. "Okay so while they go off and get themselves caught, we're coming up with a backup plan" she announced.

Gwen smiled at her and even Morgana seemed to come back to herself a bit "All right, lets come up with a plan" she agreed.

Merlin bounced in the saddle uncomfortably as he and Arthur rode at a breakneck pace in the direction of the tracks of the bandits, but he wouldn't dare to complain.

The Prince hadn't said a word since they found the ransom note, the stress obvious in his eyes. He rode hard, with gritted teeth and a murderous expression on his face, not stopping as the night closed in around them.

Arthur was worried furious and anxious all at the same time. He cared about his knights and wanted to see them home safely, something he knew their families would appreciate. Morgana was practically a sister to him and Gwen was that little voice in the back of his head that told him what was right and what was wrong, even if she was a servant and he needed to make sure they were okay. And then there was Cassie. He was in love with her, no doubt about it and it nearly ripped him in two to know that she was in danger. Loving someone like that was a dangerous thing but he couldn't help himself. And he'd be damned if he never got to tell her how much she meant to him.

Thoughts of the Princess made his chest constrict painfully so he did his best to keep his mind on how they were going to get into wherever the hostages were being held and break them out.

Finally the two rope up upon an abandoned old fort. The crumbling gray walls were laced with ivy and cracks and an entire doorway had fallen in on itself.

Large, dirty men wandered around the top of the fort, armed with crossbows and swords. "This is the place" Merlin muttered, looking around warily.

Arthur gave him a look "Of course this is the place Merlin" he snapped, his nerves getting the better of him.

Merlin rolled his eyes and followed Arthur as he tiptoed through the woods, around the back of the fort. It was a well guarded building and it didn't look like there were many ways in or out.

"Looks like we're going to have to take the crushed entrance" Arthur said, his eyes scanning the area, looking for guards and hiding places the way he was trained to.

Merlin followed the Prince's gaze taking in the empty cart halfway between the woods and the fort and the lack of guards on that side.

Finally Arthur turned to him "Alright, here's the plan." He leaned over and whispered in the dark haired boy's ear for a few seconds before leaning back and looking at him expectantly.

"_That's_ your plan?" Merlin asked him incredulously. He usually knew better than to question the Prince, especially when he was in a bad mood, but for a plan as bad as this, Merlin couldn't help himself.

"Yes ,Merlin, that is my plan. And we're about to execute it, so get ready" Arthur rose into a high crouch and tensed , waiting for Merlin to do the same.

The other boy rolled his eyes and mimicked the blonde one's movements far less gracefully.

"Ready?" Arthur asked.

"As I'll ever be" his companion muttered.

"All right then, you're first… GO!" the Prince shouted and Merlin took off running, Arthur tight on his heels.

The two sprinted across the open space between the woods and the fort, at full speed.

They slowed slightly as they reached the collapsed entrance to the fort and hurtled through it, only making it a few steps through the debris before they both slammed into something hard.

The door to the cell swung open and there stood four large bandits wearing especially intimidating expressions. "Up" one of them grunted and the three women complied, Cassie giving the other two a reassuring smile though she herself felt nowhere near reassured.

Their hands were bound behind their backs and they were marched out of the cell, the thugs forming a sort of cage around them.

Cassie took measured steps, her head held high and proud. She would never show these men she was scared. Fear was a powerful weapon and she didn't intend to be its victim.

Morgana on the other hand, still hadn't stopped shaking, though Cassie doubted she noticed it. And Gwen's eyes were full of silent terror though nothing else about her face showed it.

It had to be terrifying for them, women who came from a time where a knight in shining armor was usually around to rescue them, to be in this kind of position where all hope seemed lost.

Well the knights and that friend of Gwen's might not save anyone but Cassie wasn't just going to stand by and let them be ransomed off. She was going to do something about it.

They group reached the main room of the fort and the girls were shoved forward, Gwen stumbling and falling to her knees with a painful sounding crack that made the other two wince.

The thugs shoved Morgana and Cassie onto their knees and retreated a few feet, leaving them alone in the center.

The ringleader stepped out from the large group of degenerates that had gathered in the high ceilinged room to gawk at the nobility in front of them.

"My dear guests, I am glad to see that you are comfortable, you are being treated well, I hope?" he asked in mock politeness.

The three women on the floor didn't deign to answer. He chuckled and continued, beginning to pace in front of them as he talked. "We seem to have a bit of a problem I was hoping you could help with. Your friends seemed to have escaped. Would you help us find them?" He stopped in front of Morgana and smiled down at her, an intimidating smile that promised terrible things.

She glared up at him, her face set, though her hands still shook where they were bound behind her. "I would never help a filthy criminal like you" she snapped.

Cassie grinned, Morgana was being a bad ass and she was proud.

The ringleader's face stretched into a cruel smile a second before he slapped her, hard across the face, the sound of it echoing with the laughter of the other bandits in the room.

Morgana's head flew to the side, her glare slipping momentarily to reveal the scared and pained expression she wore underneath. By the time she looked back at him, her freezing stare was back in place. She opened her mouth to say something to him but Cassie cut her off.

"You fucking coward" she said, venom coloring her voice. The bandits in the room stared at her incredulously, none of them had ever heard a woman say that before, much less a princess. And calling their boss a coward was an easy way to get oneself killed.

The ringleader turned to her "What did you just call me?" he asked, drawing his sword slowly, a gesture clearly meant to intimidate her.

Cassie held his gaze, her hatred of him and his attempts at intimidation burning in her eyes.

He brought the tip of his sword to her neck and then dragged it down her chest to stop a few inches above and to the right of her heart, the cool metal raising goose bumps on her skin. "I so look forward to the day when I get your ransom, and I get to kill you" he said softly. "I'll get to stab you, right here" he pressed with his sword drawing it down and to the left in a diagonal slash across her chest then made its mirror image, creating a shallow X over her heart. Cassie hissed in a breath as he cut her but showed no other sign of pain.

Morgana and Gwen gasped in unison.

The ringleader re-sheathed his sword and stared down at the blood ruining Cassie's dress with satisfaction.

The Princess stared right back at him, a challenge in her eyes. "You're still a coward. The only way you'll face a woman so much smaller than you is when she's tied up on the floor" she said evenly.

His face turned red with barely suppressed anger. "Fine, get up you foolish bitch" he snapped, his composure cracking. The thug behind her hesitated, unsure if he was actually supposed to help up their biggest price. "DO IT!" the ringleader shouted.

Cassie smiled as the thug helped her up and untied her wrists. As soon as her hands were free, she rammed her elbow back into his stomach and whirled to pull the sword from his belt.

The thug stumbled back, half in pain, half in shock that a woman that small and innocent looking could have disarmed him so quickly.

To his grudgingly impressed and resentful expression Cassie cracked a half grin "I'm from New York" she said by way of explanation and turned back to the ringleader. "Lets do this"

Lancelot led the way through the dark, musty tunnels of the fort. It looked like very few of the rooms in the place were actually used by the bandits hiding out there.

Sir Henry and Sir Frederick followed behind him, both in silent resentment of the strange man who had gotten them out of their prison. As knights of Camelot they were supposed to be the bravest of the brave and smart enough to get out of those kind of situations on their own.

"This way" Lancelot whispered back at them darting off, down another corridor. The two knights followed with grim faces, it was still a very dangerous situation.

Footsteps sounded from around the corner and the three looked at each other before darting into the shadows created by small crevices in the unlit hallway. Three of the bandits turned the corner and began to advance down the dark hallway, a torch lighting their way.

Lancelot pressed his lips together as he thought hard in the few second he had before the men walking down the corridor would find him. Deciding to at least use surprise to his advantage he jumped out of his little crevice and swung the guard's stolen sword at the leaders head.

The hilt slammed into the man's forehead, knocking him unconscious, causing the torch to drop to the floor and sputter out.

Sir Frederick and Sir Henry leapt out of their crevices as well, following Lancelot's lead and attacking the two remaining bandits, knocking them out cold in a matter of seconds.

They quickly stole the swords from the unconscious men and hurried along, coming closer with every turn to freedom.

Suddenly Lancelot stopped them and backed the group into a side corridor. "There's our escape route, that half collapsed exit right there. No one's guarding it." he informed the other two.

"We have to make sure it is safe outside" Sir Frederick pointed out.

Lancelot nodded "We'll go out now" he agreed and turned to lead them back out of the fort.

They had barely set foot on the rock debris that formed a misshapen set of steps up to the door, when someone slammed into Lancelot and another someone into Sir Frederick.

"What..?" Sir Henry asked in bewilderment as Prince Arthur extricated himself from Sir Frederick and asked "What are you doing?" in his usual authoritative tone.

"Finding an escape route?" Sir Frederick answered with more of a question than an answer.

"Where is Princess Cassandra and Lady Morgana? And Guinevere?" Arthur snapped.

"Back in their cell my lord, we wanted to make sure we found a safe way out before bringing them" Sir Henry piped up.

Arthur nodded, "Merlin, lets go" he said turning to see his servant, who was completely ignoring him in favor of the third man with Sir Henry and Frederick. "Lancelot?" he asked in amazement.

The dark haired man sank into a bow "Prince Arthur" he tilted his head up and grinned.

Arthur let a smile of his own creep onto his face before remembering their mission. "Let's go, we'll have time for reunions later" he led the way back the way Lancelot and the two knights had come from.

Arthur's heart was pounding audibly as they continued into the fort. He had to remind himself to walk at a slow pace and keep alert for someone who might catch them. He wanted to break into a run and find Cassie.

Merlin seemed to sense his nerves and moved closer, shooting the blonde man a reassuring smile. He knew Cassie well enough to know that she wasn't going to let any of the thugs that had kidnapped them intimidate her. She could keep a clear head in a time of disaster and because of that, Merlin wasn't worried at all about her.

Gwen and Morgana on the other hand were less tough, they really had been brought up sheltered and protected. He wouldn't be surprised if Gwen was a wreck at the moment and Morgana was holding herself together by threads. He wouldn't let himself think of what the thugs would do to the girls if they discovered their other three prisoners were missing.

The small group heard footsteps and darted into a side corridor, pressing themselves against the wall as a lone guard walked by.

Once he had passed they continued on to the hallway lined with dark, dirty cells. Here Lancelot took the lead and hurried along to the opposite end of the hallway where he pressed his face to the door of the second cell. He came away frowning and fumbled the key into the lock, throwing the door open. The others leaned around him to look into the cell.

It was completely empty.

"Where are they?" Arthur asked impatiently, his worry creeping into his voice no matter how hard he tried to control it.

"They were here" Sir Henry said, his eyes quickly scanning the neighboring cells to make sure they had the right one.

"Well where are they now?" Merlin asked.

Lancelot swung the door back, it shut with a soft click "They're probably up in the main hall. The kidnappers probably want to find out where we've gone and keep them someplace where they can't get away" he reasoned.

"That's going to make our job harder" Sir Frederick mused.

"Well good, because I'm up for a challenge" Merlin said quickly, before Arthur could unleash his unsteady temper on the poor knight.

They moved quickly through the dank and lightless corridors of the fort. They met no one, and saw no guards or other bandits roaming around. "My guess is that they're all up in the main hall. Something interesting must be going on." Lancelot said as he led them up a worn set of stone steps.

As they neared the main hall they could hear the quiet hum of voices murmuring to each other and a sudden male grunt of pain. Next a female voice spoke, two short phrases.

They snuck up another set of stone steps and found a door that led to a small overlooking balcony.

The view it provided was of a large room, a circle of dirty men around the edge and in the center Morgana and Gwen knelt before a large man whose face was bright red with anger. In front of him, stood Cassie, a sword in hand and a crumpled figure behind her, glaring at her.

Arthur's fist tensed around his sword. Cassie was down there, and very obviously in danger. The challenging look on her face brought to mind how infuriating she could be and judging by the color of the large mans complexion, he was experiencing it firsthand.

Arthur quickly pushed through the other men, back towards the stone steps that led to the hall.

"What are you doing?" Sir Henry asked, looking at the Prince as if he were insane.

Arthur spared him an impatient look "Going down there to rescue them. If you care to join me, you're welcome to come along" he snapped sarcastically.

Sir Frederick opened his mouth to argue but Merlin cut him off "There's no point. Arthur's got his mind made up. The best we can do is follow him and try to make sure he doesn't get himself killed."

On an ordinary day Arthur would have spared the time to at least glare at his friend, but today there was more at stake.

He hurried down the stairs and stopped briefly at the large doors that led to the main hall. It had grown completely silent in the large room as everyone's nerves mounted.

Arthur threw the doors open and every head in the room turned to look at the men who walked, purposefully just past the door.

Gwen gave a little hiccup of relief and Morgana continued shaking. Cassie smiled at them then winked quickly at Merlin.

"It seems we've found our lost prisoners. How nice of you to turn yourselves in" the ringleader sneered.

"There are hundreds of Camelot's troops surrounding this fort. They are hidden in the forest and on the signal they will attack this place and rip every one of you apart. Give over the hostages and we will let you live." Arthur said, his voice cool and threatening, looking and sounding every inch the Prince he was. Even though he was bluffing.

The ringleader visibly paled, going from a shade of extreme red to white in a matter of seconds. He looked around at the nervous and distrustful faces of his men, then seemed to come to a decision.

"If we kill you before you can give the signal, there won't be a problem will there?" he let a brief smile cross his face before giving his own signal and his men attacked.

Chaos erupted in the room and Cassie hurried through the throng to Gwen and Morgana, using her sword to cut them lose "You two have to get out of here, okay? Don't stop running till you reach the woods" she instructed.

Morgana gave her a defiant look "We're not going to run away. We're going to stay and help" she insisted, nudging her foot out to trip one of the many thugs that coursed around them.

He went sprawling and she picked up his sword and neatly knocked him over the head with it.

Cassie grinned "Grab one for Gwen too and try to find one of the knights or Arthur or Merlin" she instructed before jumping into the fray with her own stolen sword.

Merlin was having a hard time maneuvering through the massive fight that seemed to have broken out. The thugs in the room had half turned on each other and were fighting amongst themselves as well as against the men from Camelot.

Seeing a man come at Arthur from behind he quickly muttered a spell that sent the man's sword falling through his fingers and as he reached down to pick it up another thug stabbed him through the stomach.

"Nice one" said a voice next to him. He turned to see a smiling Cassie, holding a sword that had to be way too big for her. She looked bad, a large purple bruise covered half her face and a small cut laced through it across her cheek. There was a shallow cut in the shape of an X over her heart that looked new and Merlin cringed.

"Are you alright?" he asked, taking her by the shoulders.

She smiled at his concern "I'm fine Merlin" she assured him "But we have to do something about this"

He nodded "I'm just not sure what"

She looked around, pondering. A large thug lunged towards them but before he could reach them Merlin hissed a spell and he fell to the ground fast asleep.

Cassie laughed "Can you do that for all of them?" she asked, nudging her toe at the sleeping man at her feet.

"No, then Arthur would know someone's using magic."

She frowned and looked around the room again. She caught sight of Arthur and bit her lip. He was fighting two men and winning, though barely.

"Set the place on fire" she said turning back to Merlin. He looked at her like she'd lost her mind, and maybe she had but she couldn't do nothing. "Do it" she insisted.

He sighed, gave her an annoyed look and started a spell.

Suddenly one of the torches around the room flared, catching the ancient faded banner of some long ago kingdom. The thing caught fire and the people around it backed up. A few more strategic torches fell and soon, the room was a mess of fighting and fire.

Cassie and Merlin hurried towards where they had last seen Arthur, Morgana, Gwen, Lancelot and the knights.

Henry and Frederick were back to back like in an old movie, fighting off thugs. With a quickly muttered spell, the nearest torch flared up, giving Merlin just enough time to pull them out and drag them towards the exit. Morgana was already there, looking around for them.

Cassie hurried towards Arthur, slashing out with her sword at anyone who got in her way. He saw her before she reached him and automatically reached out to her, dragging her towards the doors as well.

They met up just outside the door, Gwen and Lancelot bursting through a few seconds later. "Is everyone alright?" he asked, holding Gwen to his side while she coughed.

"Fine" Cassie said, aware that Arthur was holding her similarly, "Lets get out of here" she added.

They threaded their way through the maze of dark corridors, coming out at the crumbled entrance just as the sun was coming up.

Cassie and Morgana found their horses tethered to a tree near the edge of the woods and they all mounted quickly, Lancelot taking Cassie's horse at Arthur's insistence.

"Well then where am I going to ride?" she asked, looking at him full in the face for the first time.

"With me" he informed her and his tone left no room for argument.

He had noticed the painful looking bruise on her face and the cut over her heart and it was all he could do to not march back into the burning fort and kill every one of those men with his bare hands.

He had never felt this intensely protective instinct before. Even other times he'd thought he'd been in love, he hadn't ever needed their safety with this intensity.

Cassie nodded and climbed up in front of him and the entire group rode back into the woods.

They made camp on the beach, and all settled in to sleep off their soreness. But Cassie couldn't sleep. Her cheek hurt- not that she'd ever admit to it –and she was a little worried about Arthur.

The whole ride to the ocean, he kept silent, his arm clamped around her waist, holding her tightly to him. When they dismounted he'd pulled her into a bone-crushing embrace and buried his head in her hair.

She'd done her best to tell him it was all alright and that she was fine but he had stayed silent and brooding for as they set up camp and gradually all fell asleep.

She got up and wandered towards the water, feeling the usual serenity she felt near the ocean sweep over her.

She made her way to the edge of the waves and sat, pulling her socks and shoes off to dip her toes in the edges of the waves as they flowed onto the rocky shore.

Suddenly Alex was beside her, sitting in much the obsession, knees up and elbows resting on them. Cassie smiled at him and he grinned back, his brown hair, so much like hers, messy as always.

"Hey _hermanita_, long time no see" he teased.

She leveled a fake glare at him, made all the more impressive by her swollen purple cheek.

He completely ignored the glare "That's an impressive shiner you've got there. Reminds me of the old days" he elbowed her gently in the ribs and she couldn't hold back a laugh.

"What are you here to tell me Alex?" she asked.

His expression turned serious, "I'm simply here to inform you that you haven't changed history yet. So your stay here in the sixth century has been extended indefinitely."

Cassie raised her eyebrows at her brother's uncharacteristically proper attitude.

His serious façade cracked and he grinned again "And nice job with blondie over there. You're the only girl I know who could possibly make a guy fall in love with her by rejecting him. And you got King Arthur no less."

Cassie let out a laugh "I can't keep him though can I?" she asked.

Alex shrugged "That's up to you."

She looked up at him "What?"

He shrugged again and Cassie noticed he was becoming slightly transparent. He was leaving her "Wait, no, Alex, I have so many more questions, what do you mean up to me? And what about my dream? The one I keep having of searching the castle and hearing someone scream?" she asked, the words tumbling out in a rush.

"It's a warning" Alex said, he was nearly gone now, his image barely visible against the sand.

"A warning against what?" she demanded, but he was gone. She groaned and fell backwards into the soft sand behind her.

After what could have been a minute or an hour, she heard someone coming towards her. She looked up to see Arthur sit down next to her in the exact same position Alex had been in. She noticed he was barefoot like she was.

"Hi" she said softly, pushing herself up on her elbows.

"Cassie" he answered, his voice strained as he stared out at the ocean.

She sat all the way up and put her arms around his shoulders, resting her head against his "What's wrong?" she asked.

He turned to her then, pulling her small body into his arms and pressing a kiss to her forehead. He was silent for a minute before answering "I just don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to you" he whispered.

Cassie kissed him quickly "I'm not going anywhere, I promise" she lied and cuddled against him as she looked out at the ocean.

Spanish Translations:

_Hermanita: _Little sister


	19. Chapter 19: Broke Into My Head

**A/N:** Sorry this took a while. I'm applying to college! Thanks SO much for the reviews. Love you all tons and tonsss!

**XXX**

Merlin wandered through the lower town, whistling a song he'd hear Cassie singing to herself earlier. He was on his way to the blacksmith, a large young man named Tom who had replaced Gwen's father after Uther'd had him executed.

Reaching Tom's home, he stopped to give a smile and a wave to the blacksmith's daughter. The girl, who could be no more than five, waved back and grinned revealing a missing front tooth.

He was about to walk into the blacksmith's shop when he felt a strange tingling at the base of his skull. Something wasn't right, and it was something magic. Looking around, Merlin spotted seven or eight horses, riding in a formation towards the castle. Most of them were men, knights in the uniform of a kingdom Merlin didn't recognize.

They rode in a sort of circle around another figure on a horse. This was a woman and she was beautiful. She sat on the horse with grace and posture, her long blond curls tumbling over her left shoulder. She was very fair in the way that was common of the northern kingdoms and even from far away, Merlin could see her eyes were a luminous blue.

They moved through the streets slowly, ignoring all the stares they received from passersby. As they passed him Merlin caught the eye of the woman riding the horse. She stared at him hard, her eyes turning icy for a brief second before she smiled at him, all trace of hate, gone from her stare.

As they rode on, Merlin turned back into the blacksmith's shop. He had too much to do at the moment to worry about the strange woman. But once he got back to the castle, he had a lot of questions.

**XXX**

Uther sat on his throne with his chin balanced on his fist as he stared at his currently empty throne room. It could get rather boring just sitting there in the receiving room, especially when he had been informed that there were two young emissaries from a foreign land at the castle and they hadn't been brought to him yet.

The doors opened and Uther sat up, expecting the emissaries. Instead his son entered the room followed by the physician. The king slumped back in his chair.

"Father, I received word that foreign emissaries are in Camelot" Arthur said, forgoing the customary bow of respect that took the guards at the door and Gaius an extra few seconds.

Uther rolled his eyes in a very un-king-like way and sighed "Yes, there are emissaries here who will be granted an audience with me in a matter of minutes."

Arthur gave a nod "Oh. Alright then" he moved to stand in his customary spot, somewhere on the King's right, leaning against a pillar.

Gaius pressed his lips together to hide a smile and stood on one side of the room as other advisors of the King's began to file into the chamber, all expecting the emissaries at any moment.

And they didn't have to wait long, nearly a minute after the last knight had filed in, the doors were pulled wide open and in walked a young man and woman, followed by knights.

The woman was exquisitely beautiful, with long blonde curls and pale blue eyes that stood out against her almost translucent skin. The young man was much the same, his hair was so pale it was almost white and his complexion not much darker. His eyes were much darker than his companion's though and gleamed with a strange emptiness, as if he wasn't completely there. The knights that filed in behind them were equally fair and stared straight ahead with a severity that marked their professionalism. All of them bowed quickly in an almost orchestrated motion.

Uther acknowledged the bow with a head nod of his own "Welcome to Camelot, I am King Uther and this is my son, Arthur" he introduced quickly.

"My name is Victoria, your highness, and this is Ewan" the woman introduced.

"Again, welcome to Camelot, where have you traveled from?" he asked eagerly.

"From the kingdom of Valeon, a land far to the north of here" Victoria spoke, stepping forward and once again every man in the room was struck by how beautiful she was. Even Arthur.

"I have heard of Valeon, why have you made such a long journey?" the King inquired.

This time Ewan spoke, his eyes still strangely blank "Our King and Queen wish to receive help from Camelot, as our kingdom is drawing closer to a war."

"We seek an alliance with your kingdom in the hope that it might discourage our enemies from starting such a terrible and costly war" Victoria put in, taking over the conversation once again.

"And what would such an alliance entail?" Uther asked, seriously considering.

"A promise of peace between our lands and help in the event of a war" she smiled at him and he was sold.

"We will have someone draw up a treaty as soon as possible, but until it can be agreed on and signed you will stay here in the castle" he agreed.

Victoria smiled again "Thank you, your highness, that is most generous of you" she said, dipping into a perfectly executed curtsey. All the men in the room stared in admiration.

As several knights led the party from Valeon to their rooms Arthur turned to his father, "That was a quick decision, what persuaded you to accept their alliance?"

Uther looked up at him, his brow slightly furrowed "I'm not sure. Something in their request made me want to help them. Though I don't see how this can harm Camelot, our ultimate aim is peace and if creating this treaty encourages that, then it is a good idea" he said, then stood and walked out of the throne room whispering to himself incoherently.

Arthur frowned, sometimes he wondered if being King got to be too much for his father.

**XXX**

"Oh sorry!" Cassie automatically blurted out as she knocked into someone coming around a corner in the castle.

The someone was a very pretty young woman, a few inches taller than her with long blonde curls, pale skin and the iciest blue eyes Cassie had ever seen.

The woman stared at her for a second, a series of unreadable emotions flitting across her face before she smiled "It is quite alright my lady" she said, bobbing down in a quick but graceful curtsey that made Cassie instantly jealous.

"Oh, call me Cassie please" she said smiling at the other woman, "I've convinced almost everyone else around here to, but I haven't seen you around here before" she observed.

The woman's smiled grew "You must be the Princess Cassandra!" she said, her excitement only the tiniest bit plastic. "I have heard of you! My name is Victoria, I am an ambassador from Valeon, a kingdom to the north of Camelot" she introduced.

Cassie had a nagging feeling in the back of her head that told her this chick was bad news but she ignored it. "Nice to meet you Victoria, are you staying in Camelot?"

The two had started walking in the original direction Cassie was headed without her noticing. "I am, until the treaty between my kingdom and Camelot is signed and complete"

Cassie smiled at her despite the nagging feeling that she shouldn't trust this girl "Well then, allow me to…" she started then stopped as she saw Arthur come out of his room a few doors away.

He strode towards them a smile on his face, his eyes locked on the two women in the hall in front of him.

"Prince Arthur!" Victoria dropped into another curtsey as he approached. Cassie held back a grin and sauntered forward a step to wink at him and take his hand.

Victoria's eyes flitted to their hands before coming back to their faces.

"Lady Victoria" Arthur acknowledged politely smiling at her "I trust you are finding everything to your liking here in the castle?"

Victoria nodded, flashing her most charming smile "It is a very well run castle my lord, and I have just met the Lady Cassandra."

"Really, please call me Cassie" the woman in question put in, her nerves put slightly on edge from the look in Victoria's eyes as she looked at Arthur. Maybe it was just admiration but Cassie felt, deep down, that it was something more.

"She insists on it and even has half the servants, doing it." Arthur put in "Even my servant calls her Cassie. Speaking of Merlin, where is he?"

"You sent him to the blacksmith's to get that new helmet you requested" Cassie reminded him.

Victoria's eyes played between the two, calculating and observing. They clearly meant something to each other and it was going to make her job more difficult.

**XXX**

Merlin barged into Arthur's chambers, panting and clutching a shiny new metal helmet to his chest. The Prince looked up from the chair he was in, eyebrows raised.

"Yes Merlin?" he asked, looking over the panting servant skeptically.

"I… wondering about… foreigners" he gasped out, stumbling over to the table in the middle of Arthur's room and leaning against it and discarding the helmet carelessly.

The blonde man rolled his eyes and picked up the helmet examining it while he explained. "The foreigners you saw are emissaries from Valeon, they're here to strike an alliance with Camelot because their kingdom is on the verge of war."

Merlin nodded, his breathing returning to normal "And who was that woman?" he asked, unable to hide his curiosity about the coldly beautiful woman that had stared him down in the village.

Arthur made a slight face "Lady Victoria, a little over-polite but Cassie's made friends with her, she'll be occupied at least" he said, his mouth twisting wryly as he spoke of Cassie.

Merlin smiled but deep down he couldn't help feeling that something was definitely not right.

**XXX**

Victoria strode purposefully through the darkened castle, a nasty frown embedded into her features. Arthur was too strongly connected to the Princess Cassandra for her first spell to work. Every man who saw her fell immediately in love with her. Every man except the one she wanted.

He frown deepened as she reflected on the smaller woman. Cassie was friendly, bright and kind, but beneath her pleasant façade, something about her warned Victoria to be careful. The woman was no ordinary Princess, she was tougher than that and probably wouldn't take kindly to losing her Prince.

Victoria's features slid into a smile, well she could handle a whiny Princess, and what was the girl supposed to do if she had no idea that it was magic that made Arthur fall in love with someone else? Nothing.

She hid in the shadows a few meters down the hall from Arthur's guarded door. Concentrating, she murmured a single word and her icy eyes glowed bright blue for the briefest of seconds.

The guards outside Arthur's door slumped to the ground and Victoria moved in, stepping over them and pushing open the doors to the Princes room.

She smiled as she saw him lying haphazardly on the bed, the covers pulled to his chest and his arms thrown out in strange directions.

She walked to the foot of his bed and studied him before moving closer, when the Prince moved.

He rolled from one side to the other, his one arm flopping up over his head and the other flung out to the side.

Victoria smiled again and crept towards his pillow. Beneath it she slipped a white rose petal. Her gold eyes glowed bright blue again before fading back to their original icy color. She took one last look at the sleeping Prince and left the room quickly to await the next morning when he would awake.

**XXX**

"Morning!" a bright voice awoke Arthur, accompanied by a bouncing on his bed. He groaned and rolled over, burying his face in the pillow and hoping whoever wanted him to wake up would go away.

The bouncing continued and a small someone laid on top of him, their soft voce coming from somewhere close to his ear, "Come on sleepyhead, time to get up."

Arthur cracked an eye open to see woman's pretty face smiling down at him. She saw he was awake and bounced on the bed again, a corner of her lips twitched up in a mischievous grin.

"Cassie, I'd be worried if I were you, he doesn't take kindly to being woken up" another voice said from somewhere Arthur couldn't see.

The small woman on his bed rolled her eyes "Oh, hush Merlin, he just doesn't take kindly to _you_ waking him up. I on the other hand am much cuter, therefore, no one minds being woken up by me" she teased. Her voice was smooth and melodic despite her strange accent.

Arthur finally recognized the voice of his servant as he answered skeptically, "Whatever you say Cass."

The woman smiled down at him "Well come on, don't just stare at me like that, up you go" she said holding out a hand.

Arthur stared at her. He didn't know who this strange and beautiful woman was, or why she was on his bed but he was going to find out. "Who are you?" he asked.

The woman, he guessed her name was Cassie, laughed, her head fell back and the sound was infectious and pretty. "Very funny, _cariño_, now get your ass up and eat something. Your dad expects you to be present for the treaty-making today."

Arthur was floored, he didn't know whether to be more baffled at the fact that she called him some strange word he didn't understand or the fact that she had just spoken to him so rudely. He decided to go with the latter. "How dare you address me as such! And get off of my bed! I don't know who you are but this is entirely inappropriate" he snapped in his best 'Prince' voice.

The woman looked surprised "Arthur?" she asked, her brow furrowed. Her expression came close to breaking his heart before he got a grip on himself.

"Please remove yourself from my chambers, before I have guards do it for you" he snapped.

Her hurt expression turned angry and her formerly warm hazel eyes turned cool. "Fine then, fuck you" she snapped climbing off the bed and walking to the door, her head held high.

Arthur turned to Merlin who was staring him, his mouth hanging open, a mixture of horror and annoyance on his face.

"What are you looking at Merlin?" the Prince snapped. He was a little surprised himself at the language the young woman had used.

The servant shut his mouth and waited a second before answering "I know you aren't the most pleasant when you wake up in the morning, but I always thought Cassie was above your bad moods. You know she's going to be mad at you later?" he said.

Arthur was beyond confused "I don't even know that woman! Why would she be above my bad moods?" he asked.

"You honestly don't know her name? Or even who she is?" Merlin's tone told Arthur that his servant was starting to take him seriously.

"No!" he said emphatically.

"Oh no" Merlin whispered. The horror on his face was swept away after a second, replaced by concern "Have you hit your head? Have you eaten anything that hasn't tasted right?" the servant asked coming over and checking Arthur's vitals frantically.

He slapped Merlin's hands away "I'm fine Merlin! Go get me breakfast or something" he snapped.

Merlin tore out of the room. Something bad had happened to Arthur, only the night before he'd snuck up to Cassie's room to tell her goodnight and this morning he had no idea who she was.

"GAIUS!" he bellowed as he rammed through the door to the physicians room.

**XXX**

"Ah Lady Victoria and Lord Ewan, please sit down" Uther stood as the emissaries entered the room. Victoria sat gracefully with a polite nod of thanks and Ewan shadowed her. They looked up at the king expectantly.

Several knights and guards stood around the room and Uther's advisors sat around the table. The seat on the King's right was conspicuously empty. The Prince was late and his father wasn't happy.

Victoria sat gracefully, with a polite nod to the room and Ewan shadowed her. "May we begin discussing the points of…" she broke off as the doors to the meeting hall swung inward and Arthur charged through them. His hair was in a disarray and the collar of his shirt stretched towards one shoulder.

He looked around the room panting softly, when his eyes met Victoria's he gave her a conspiratorial smile and walked over to his seat, never taking his eyes off the only woman in the room.

Sir Leon frowned as he watched the Prince. He had seen Arthur and Cassandra together enough in recent weeks to know that the two were in love, anyone who spent five minute with them could see it. So then why was Arthur smiling at Victoria like she was the love of his life?

Uther was confused as well, and upset. As little as he showed it, the King genuinely liked Lady Cassandra and he enjoyed seeing his son so happy around her. He had also hoped to make an alliance between Camelot and her home kingdom of Puerto Rico if the two chose to be married. Seeing his son smiling at a foreigner he barely trusted or knew made him nervous.

The meeting began and the draft of the treaty progressed well. Victoria did all the talking, never taking her eyes off the Prince of Camelot.

By the time they adjourned for the day everyone in the room had noticed and become uncomfortable at the obvious attraction between Arthur and Victoria.

"Gaius!" Merlin exclaimed as soon as the physician exited the meeting hall. Behind him, out walked Arthur and Victoria, talking in low voices to each other, Victoria's occasional giggle bubbling over the sounds of the other lords and advisors.

Merlin's jaw dropped and he ushered the old man over quickly.

"What is going on Merlin?" Gaius hissed as they turned off down a side corridor that was rarely used.

"I don't know!" Merlin looked intensely worried. "Cassie came in to wake up Arthur this morning and he acted as if he had no idea who she was! She was furious! She's locked herself in her chambers and won't let anyone in. I sent Gwen up to try to cheer her up but I don't know how much good it'll do." He frowned at Gaius, "And did I just see Arthur with Lady Victoria?"

Gaius frowned "I did find it very strange that he was suddenly so close to her. But if what you say about his reaction to Cassandra is true, then I fear there is something terrible going on."

He and Merlin made their way up to Gaius's chambers where the old physician immediately began pulling down books from his many bookshelves.

Merlin stood by none too patiently watching the books pile up on the desk. To his surprise they weren't books of spells, they were books filled with descriptions of magical creatures. "How are any of these going to help us?" he asked impatiently.

Gaius finally turned and picked up a book "Because I don't think Victoria is just using magic. I think she's something else" he continued flipping through it for a few seconds before putting it aside and picking up another one. He continued to flip through that one before he tossed it aside as well.

Merlin's patience was wearing thin, something wasn't right and Arthur was caught in the middle of it, not to mention it was breaking Cassie's heart, not that she'd ever show it.

Gaius finally looked up from the third book. His expression was grave "It's as I feared. Lady Victoria is much more than just a sorceress."

**XXX**

Cassie leveled a death glare at her door as Gwen continued to knock on it. she wished everyone would just leave her in peace.

She had already thrown some things and called Arthur every insult she knew in both English and Spanish. She had played angry songs on her guitar and even let a few tears escape. She was done being mad. Now she just wanted a nap.

"Cassie! Please let me in, we're worried about you!" Gwen's voice came through the heavy oak doors.

The fake princess sighed, she might as well let the girl in. At least then she could assure Gwen she was fine and relax for a little.

She got up and pulled open one of the doors, catching Gwen mid-knock. The serving girl gave her a sympathetic smile before giving her a warm hug.

Cassie was surprised. She was used to being man-handled by the members of her band and even getting real hugs from Ryan and her parents but never had she really ever had someone hug her with such genuine sympathy.

She tentatively hugged the taller girl back and then stood back "Come on in" she smiled.

Gwen grinned back encouragingly and bustled in with a mug of what looked like tea. She handed it to Cassie and sat at the table "It should make you feel better" she said as the other girl sat.

Cassie smiled and took a sip, it tasted like honey and raspberries. "Thanks Gwen" she sighed.

"You know he doesn't mean it" Gwen told her, "I've known Arthur for much longer than you have, maybe not quite as well but I've known him long enough to know he goes through mood swings just like the rest of us. One minute he'll be joking around with his knights and the next he's jumping down someone's throat for doing something wrong."

Cassie smiled "It sounds like the wrong-doer is usually Merlin" she chuckled softly before taking another sip of tea.

Gwen laughed "Yes it usually is. You know speaking of Merlin, he was the one who sent me here, he said something about finding Gaius, he thinks Arthur actually doesn't remember you and that something happened" she said the last part tentatively, trying not to offend the other girl.

Cassie shot up "Then let's go find Gaius and Merlin" she decided, chugging the rest of her tea and leading the way out of the room.

Gwen followed quickly behind as the determined little foreigner marched towards the physicians chambers.

They turned a corner and Cassie froze. There, right in front of her was Arthur, and he wasn't alone. He had Victoria wrapped in his arms as he kissed her right in the middle of the castle corridor.


	20. Chapter 20: Not Who, But What

**A/N:** Here's chapter 20. Whoa I have come so far with this story.

To my fan: you're welcome. I meant to do it with that one chapter I was just so excited about getting it up that I forgot. Haha.

To everyone else who reviewed: Yeah Victoria's a bitch. And thanks so much all of you for showing your love :)

So I think I might start a Narnia story… if I did would you guys read it? It'd probs be like this one. Chill 21st century chick in Narnia, yes or no?

Okay so I'll shut up now here's ch 20 :)

**XXX**

"So who is she?" Merlin asked Gaius, exasperation coloring his voice.

"Not who, Merlin, but _what_" the old man said, looking over the edge of his book at the younger one.

"Then _what _ is she?" Merlin exclaimed.

"She's a Noxie" Gaius informed him "A creature of the fey, and usually very evil" he read from the large book in his hand "Victoria is most likely an Ice Noxie, you can always tell by the color of their eyes. They have very powerful magic, and their strength is controlling people's minds."

Merlin's jaw dropped "So that's what Victoria has done to Arthur?" he asked, beginning to pace.

"It would seem so" Gaius agreed, setting the book down.

"Are Ewan and the other knights Noxie's as well?" the dark haired boy asked.

Gaius shook his head "Noxie's are only female. They most likely are from Valeon and she's taking advantage of their mission to worm her way into Camelot" he speculated.

Merlin frowned "Well what does it want? Other than to mess things up for Cassie and Arthur?"

Gaius shook his head "That, I can't answer" he said.

"Well then I'll have to go find out."

**XXX**

"You fucking bastard!" Cassie snapped out after staring in awe and horror for a second.

Arthur and Victoria pulled apart and Cassie thought she caught the faintest hint of a smile on the blonde woman's face.

Arthur just looked confused "Pardon me?" he asked incredulously, appalled that this tiny stranger would say something like that to him, the crown prince of Camelot.

She gave him a venomous look "You heard me. Look I know you're accustomed to doing whatever the hell you want but you could at least have the decency to say something to me before going off to hook up with other chicks!" she snapped at him.

Victoria put on a look of innocence "I'm terribly sorry if you're offended by us, but Arthur and I have found love" she smiled up at him and even Gwen had to resist the urge to gag.

Arthur smiled back at her and then turned a cold look on Cassie "I have known Victoria for months and we are in love while I have known you for mere hours and I dislike you. You have no say in my decision and no right to insult me this way. I banish you from Camelot and if I ever see you here again, I will personally see you thrown in a dungeon for the rest of your life."

Gwen gasped aloud and even Arthur looked vaguely surprised at his statement.

Cassie glared at him "Well then, I guess I'll see you in hell" she said and turned on her heel and stomped back down the hall towards her room, her combat boots clacking loudly on the stone. Gwen hurried after her after shooting one last annoyed look at Arthur.

The serving girl couldn't believe what she had just seen. Just the day before, she'd seen the Prince as Cassie wandering through the palace gardens -a place Arthur had never been known to visit before- with huge smiles on their faces.

She didn't understand how that could have changed so quickly.

Cassie was confused as well. She fought tears as she stomped back to her room, she wouldn't cry over this. Arthur was just another relationship that didn't work out. She told herself she was better off without him. Besides as soon as she changed history, she was headed home, back to the twenty first century with cars and cell phones and ice cream. She had a life there, a band, a loving family and an album to put out for all her wonderful fans.

It was probably better for both her and Arthur to end it before she had to just leave. Now she could go home with no regrets and he could stay in Camelot and become king and now miss her. It was better this way.

At least that's what she tried to tell herself.

She threw open the doors to her room and crossed to her wardrobe where she began to rummage through it looking for the messenger bag she had shown up in Camelot with.

"What are you doing?" Gwen had followed her into her room and was now standing by the table in the center of the room, her hands on her hips and a confused expression on her face.

"Packing" she answered shortly.

"Why? Arthur has no power to banish you!" Gwen exclaimed, she was starting to get upset at the thought of really losing her friend.

Cassie sighed "Even if he hadn't banished me, its better this way, our whole relationship was a mistake in the first place. And anyway, I don't think I could stay and hang around the castle while they're wandering around together" she said finally sitting back with her messenger bag in hand.

Gwen walked over and joined the slightly smaller girl on the floor. She looked so much younger without her usually fierce expression and hard eyes. "If you'd like you are welcome to stay with me for a few days while things get sorted out" she offered, her voice soft.

Cassie looked up at her. She did need a place to stay while she figured out how to get home and Gwen's house was as good as any. "Are you sure?" she asked, knowing the other girl wasn't rich and it might be difficult to feed an extra mouth.

Gwen smiled "I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't sure. Come on, I'll help you pack some of your things" she rose to her feet and offered Cassie her hand.

**XXX**

"Merlin!" Arthur snapped as the dark haired boy ran into the room, panting for breath. "I do have to train my knights sometime today, a little help would be appreciated!" he held out his chainmail shirt.

"Sorry sire" Merlin panted and took the shirt. He helped the Prince get it on before asking "So, have you noticed Lady Victoria?"

"Noticed her?" Arthur laughed "I known her for months, of course I've noticed her."

Merlin froze. Victoria had only shown up yesterday! How could Arthur have known her for months? "How did you two meet again?" he asked, his voice sounding strained to even his own ears but Arthur didn't notice.

"My father invited her to stay after she came from her country which is on the verge of war. She's different, but I love her" he said, sighing happily before turning back to Merlin "I do need more armor than that" he snapped.

Merlin was half confused, half dumbstruck. How could Arthur love a girl he'd only met yesterday, and not remember the girl he'd loved yesterday.

He spent the next few minutes in silence trying to figure it out as he helped the Prince get ready for training.

"What are you training the men for?" he asked, just to break the silence.

Arthur shrugged "There's a tournament sometime soon and I wanted to make sure they were all ready and able to compete" he said. He was clearly in a strange mood.

"Is there something wrong sire?" he asked warily.

The Prince sighed "The young woman who was in my room this morning, she insulted myself and Lady Victoria, and I banished her from Camelot in a moment of anger. She was inexplicably rude and probably deserved it but there's something about her that's been bothering me" he admitted

Merlin seized his opportunity "Because you know her Arthur. You two were um rather close."

Arthur rolled his eyes "Merlin, honestly I have no idea who she is, now let's go. I have knights to train" he led the way out of the room and down the corridor.

Merlin followed "Are you sure you have no idea?" he asked "Because you've known her for months" he pointed out.

Arthur rolled his eyes "Drop it Merlin, I don't know her" the Prince snapped and Merlin fell silent, following him down a set of stairs.

Then it hit him "Arthur, you've known Victoria for months, do you remember who took Morgana's place as the winners escort at the tournament banquet?" he asked.

The blonde man rolled his eyes "Of course I remember, Morgana was still injured so Victoria took over for her. She looked fantastic that night too" he sighed reminiscing.

Merlin's face was a mask of shock and horror as he turned wordlessly and sprinted back the way they had come.

Arthur turned around "Where are you…?" he muttered then shrugged and turned back towards the training field to go work with his knights.

**XXX**

Gwen pushed open the door to her house and led Cassie in. The man sitting at Gwen's table shot up, knocking over the bench he'd been sitting on.

"Lancelot?" Cassie asked, a small smile forming on her tired face.

"My lady" he dropped into a low bow, knocking his head on the table. The girls held in their laughter.

"Don't bother with the formalities, I'm hardly a princess at the moment and besides, you're a friend, call me Cassie" she insisted before dropping onto the bench Lancelot hadn't knocked over.

Gwen moved into the kitchen area and began making a pot of tea "The tea should help. Is there anything we can do for you?" she asked Cassie.

The other girl shook her head "I'm fine, thank you. I just need to stay until I can figure out a way to get home" she put her head down on her arms.

"You mean until Uther finds out about this. He'll be furious you know" Gwen pointed out.

Lancelot looked between the two, very confused. Cassie looked up and caught his puzzled expression. "Arthur decided to banish me from Camelot" she explained.

Lancelot laughed. Gwen slapped his arm "Lancelot! She's upset about it!" she said, shooting Cassie an apologetic look.

He shook his head "Good try, you two. But I saw how Arthur reacted when you were kidnapped and afterwards. The man's in love with you."

Cassie smiled sadly "He's pretending he doesn't even know who I am. He has very clearly moved on."

Gwen sat down next to her with a mug of tea "You know that actually has been bothering me. How can he not even know who you are?" she shook her head.

Cassie shrugged, sipping the warm tea. It was getting cold out in Camelot and soon there might even be snow. It made her sad to think that she might have to leave before she could see the castle and the lower town covered in white.

"He doesn't remember her?" Lancelot frowned "Did he hit his head or something?" he asked.

Gwen shook her head "Not that I know of. Just all of a sudden he switched from Cassie to this Lady Victoria."

He stood and began to pace "He just switched hmm? Who is this Lady Victoria?" he asked, looking at Cassie, who had retreated into her own little world, staring into her tea.

Gwen answered for her "A foreign emissary, she just showed up yesterday and now Arthur is claiming he's known her for months!" she shook her head, half in annoyance and half in sympathy for her friend.

Lancelot stopped, "You say he can't remember Lady- Cassie, but he thinks he's known this Victoria for months?" he asked.

Gwen sighed "Yes, that's what I just told you!" she gave him a look that informed him she didn't think Cassie wanted to hear this.

Of course Lancelot ignored her "Tell me more about Lady Victoria, is she very beautiful?" he asked.

Gwen rolled her eyes "How pretty she is isn't important!" she snapped.

"Yes it is, if she is very beautiful and pale, then she may be a Noxie" he said.

At this, Cassie looked up "A Noxie?" she asked, "Yes, Lady Victoria is very beautiful and she's pale as anything. What's a Noxie?"

"A Noxie is an ice fey, they come from the northern seas and have the power to control the minds of their victims," Lancelot told her.

"Then what does she want with Arthur? And what about the other men she came here with? Are they Noxies too?" she asked, the questions spilling past her lips on top of one another.

Lancelot frowned "I don't know about the other men, I've only ever seen female Noxies before. She probably wants Camelot, which is why she's taken over the Prince's mind" he said.

Gwen frowned "But why would she target Arthur rather than Uther?"

It hit Cassie first, she jumped up, "Because she's going to kill Uther!"

**XXX**

"Merlin!" Morgana called out to him as he darted through the corridors on his way to Gaius's, "Have you seen Cassie? She promised me yesterday she'd help me figure out what to wear to the… Merlin, are you alright?" she asked.

He stopped and shook his head panting "I need to find Gaius, or Cassie, Arthur's banished her and I can't find her!" he said before racing off again to find the physician.

Morgana's jaw dropped. Arthur _banished _Cassie? Impossible. She continued down the hall ignoring the moment with Merlin that had just passed.

Cassie's room was on the floor below hers and her steps sped up as she came off the stairs, Merlin's words ringing in the back of her head.

She knocked on the door and waited. There was no answer, so she knocked again. Again, nothing. Morgana threw open the door.

The room looked the same as it usually did, the bed made by Cassie herself, the plates from her breakfast stacked neatly on the table, waiting for a servant to get a chance to bring them back down to the kitchens.

But after a closer look, Morgana noticed what was missing, Cassie's jewelry wasn't strewn all over her vanity like it usually was. Her guitar wasn't in its usual spot, leaning against the bed or against one of the chairs by the table in the middle of the room.

Her wardrobe stood slightly open and Morgana crossed to it. she pulled the door all the way back and gasped. Most of Cassie's dresses were gone, as was the bag she usually took on their rides.

Morgana tore out of the room, her strappy shoes cutting into her feet as she ran but she ignored it.

"Uther!" she shouted as she burst into the receiving room, where Uther sat on his throne, speaking to one of his advisors.

He looked to her, his eyebrows raised at her tactless entrance, then they furrowed at the distressed expression on her face.

He waved his advisor away and the man gave Morgana a dirty look as he passed her on his way out.

Once the guards closed the doors behind him, Uther stood from his throne and approached her, "What is wrong Morgana?" he asked, taking her hand.

"Cassie is gone! And Merlin told me Arthur banished her from Camelot!" she told him, her voice breaking.

The King frowned "Arthur cares a great deal for Ca- Lady Cassandra, I very much doubt that he would banish her from Camelot. I'm sure his servant was simply confused, the boy is not very bright" he assured her.

Morgana shook her head "I'm almost positive Merlin wasn't lying, and everyone around the castle has noticed Arthur's infatuation with Lady Victoria" she said, biting her lip to keep from crying.

Uther sighed "If it would make you feel at ease, I will speak to Arthur for you" he placated.

Morgana nodded and sniffed "That would make me feel much better" she offered him a small smiled and her guardian returned it.

**XXX**

Arthur stood in the weapons room, running his fingers lightly along the hilts of the swords in their racks. He had trained with swords since he was a child and used it like an extension of his arm. He'd only seen someone use one that smoothly once before, through the memory tugged at the edge of his conscience, not close enough for him to remember who.

He heard footsteps behind him and turned quickly. His father emerged through the doorway, his expression half embarrassed, half grave.

"Father" Arthur nodded to him, turning back to the swords.

Uther joined him by the rack, "You know, I've always been so proud of your swordsmanship" he said, shooting a sideways smile at his son.

Arthur smiled without looking at the King, "Thank you Father" he answered.

Uther cleared his throat uncomfortably "Morgana came to me a few minutes ago, rather upset because she was under the impression that you banished the Lady Cassandra from Camelot earlier" he finally said.

Arthur looked up at him "I don't know who she was, but yes I banished a very rude young woman from Camelot, I wasn't aware she was a lady or why she was even here" he shrugged.

The King's jaw dropped "You banished her? It can't be Lady Cassandra, you know her" he was assuring himself as much as his son.

The Prince shrugged "I don't know anyone named Lady Cassandra. The woman I banished was very small and dark and had an impolite mouth" he made a face at the memory.

"You don't know Lady Cassandra! And you banished her?" Uther was incredulous.

His son looked at him, confused "No I do not, should I have known her? Who was she?" he asked.

The King was almost too upset to answer "She was more than just a Lady, she was a Princess, and our royal guest. She has been here for months and you and she were very close" he choked out.

Arthur shrugged again "I have no idea who you're speaking of father" he said and turned to go. When he reached the door he turned back "My apologies for banishing her, hopefully she hasn't gotten too far" he turned back to walk out, muttering something along the lines of "She deserved it."

Uther stared after him for a moment, completely dumbstruck.

Then he jumped into action "Arthur Pendragon! You cannot just banish young women at your leisure!" he shouted, going after his son to further lecture him.

**XXX**

"I don't have any idea where she is!" Merlin cried as he paced quickly across the floor of Gaius's chambers.

The physician sat calmly at his table, putting together a potion for one of the knight's injuries "She will come back eventually Merlin" he assured the panicked young warlock.

"But what if she doesn't! What if she finds a way to get home!" he snapped back.

Gaius sighed "If neither of us have been able to find a way to send her home I highly doubt the poor girl is going to find a way on her own. And even if she did. I know she would come say goodbye to you first" he smiled.

Merlin was about to answer when the door burst open and in walked the King. Gaius stood up and Merlin dropped into a bow.

"Sire, what can I do for you?" the physician asked politely.

Uther stomped into the room "You can fix my son" he said, his temper clearly in short supply "He has lost his mind. He banished the Lady Cassandra from Camelot and now claims to not remember her. Something must be done."

Gaius nodded "Merlin has just informed me of the Princes condition. I will do all I can to help him regain his memory sire" he dipped his shoulders in a bow.

The king nodded and turned to leave. At the door he turned, his eyes finding Merlin's "And please keep Lady Victoria away from him" he said and strode out of the room.

**XXX**

The castle was pitch black as Merlin crept through the halls towards Lady Victoria's room. He stopped at her door and pressed his ear to the wood. He couldn't hear a thing, even when he murmured the spell that amplified sounds.

He turned to press his other ear to the door when he saw the thin spill of light from under the door next to Victoria's. He knew from his serving duties that it was Ewan's room.

Slowly, he crept over to the door and pressed his ear to it. Victoria's voice reverberated from behind the wood.

"I have them all right where I want them. Arthur's in love with me, that bitch of a Princess is out of the picture and Uther spends hours a day in meetings with us. This is working out perfectly" there was a smile in her sly voice and Merlin grit his teeth in annoyance.

Whoever was in the room with her remained silent to her declaration and she continued on as if she didn't expect an answer. "And then, little Ewan, you get to go home to your country at war. Won't that be fun?" her voice was venom.

Her laugh was even worse. The sound was like shard of ice being shoved into his ears "Oh, your eyes tell me how little fun you think that will be. We'll have to give you another dose of my spell now wont we? We need you to be docile for our meeting with the King tomorrow" she murmured a single word and then laughed that ice shard laugh again.

Merlin had heard enough and slowly rose out of his crouch to tiptoe down the hallway. As he rounded the corner he was thinking so hard about what he'd just heard and wasn't looking where he was going until he slammed right into someone.


	21. Chapter 21: And I'll Be Your Memory

**A/N:** OKIE DOKIE THEN! Here's chapter 21. I think there's only like four more chapters in this. Which, knowing me, means like ten since this whole Victoria saga was supposed to be one chapter…. ANYWAY special something at the bottom of this chapter :)

**XXX**

"Ouch!" a voice Merlin would have known anywhere hissed.

"Cassie!" Merlin exclaimed quietly and threw his arms around her. She hugged back for a second until Merlin thought to ask, "What are you doing here?"

Cassie pressed a finger to her lips and turned to motion him to follow her. They climbed up the stairs to the next floor and crept slowly into her room.

Merlin looked around warily before using magic to light the candles. Cassie grinned in the dim light "It's so cool when you do that" she said, flopping back onto the bed.

Merlin let a small smile cross his face before turning serious again, "Where have you been? Everyone here is worried that you'd actually left Camelot! Uther has guards out searching for you as we speak!" he told her.

She sat up and sighed "I was at Gwen's. When Arthur banished me I needed a place to stay until I could figure out how to get home."

"But you can't go home! First of all Uther is furious with Arthur for the idea of banishing you. Morgana is beside herself and Arthur is under and enchantment" he said, his voice growing louder and higher as he went on.

"Merlin!" Cassie hissed, silencing him. "Now what are you talking about, Arthur's under an enchantment?" she asked.

He took a deep breath before launching into the Noxie explanation. Halfway through Cassie stopped him "I know she's a Noxie. Now what's this about Arthur under a enchantment?" she asked.

Merlin frowned "How do you know?"

"Lancelot"

"Lancelot's still here?" he jumped up from the seat he'd taken at Cassie's table.

She rolled her eyes "Yes, he's staying with Gwen. Now can you _please_ tell me about this enchantment?" she snapped.

Merlin sat back down "Oh, yes. So Noxie's have the power to control people's minds and she has taken over Arthur's mind and replaced his memory of you with herself" he explained.

Cassie frowned "So, you mean he's not just being a douche? He's just under some kind of spell?" she asked.

"Yes" Merlin smiled, hoping the news would take that sad look out of her eyes.

It did "Then what the hell are we waiting for, lets break this damn enchantment!" she stood up.

"Well we're not exactly sure what's going on" Merlin stalled. He wasn't sure it was a good idea for Cassie to go storming about the castle at the moment.

"Yes we do, she's going to kill Uther" she insisted.

His jaw dropped "She's going to do what?" he asked, incredulous.

"You heard me! She's got all those other knights from Valeon under her control and she's going to use them to help her kill Uther and then use Arthur to gain control of Camelot" she said.

"Well then yes, we have to stop her, but how?" he asked.

Cassie bit her lip, finally stumped. After a second she grinned "You still friends with that dragon?"

**XXX**

"So, young warlock and the traveler from another time, what is it that you have to ask me?" the Dragon asked in its rumbling voice that still gave Cassie the creeps.

"There's a Noxie in Camelot and she has control of Arthur. How can we break her spell?" Merlin asked.

The Dragon let out what sounded suspiciously like a snort "Noxies, troublesome creatures. The only way to break their spell is to make Arthur realize how he's been tricked. It's all in his mind and you must straighten it out" he said. "And then you must kill it." he added, almost as an afterthought.

"And how exactly are we supposed to make him realize what the Noxie did, if we can't get her away from him?" Cassie asked.

The Dragon shrugged, which drove Cassie up the wall "That is for you do find out" he said, vaguely.

Merlin sighed resignedly, he was used to the Dragon's annoying riddles, "Come on Cassie, we have work to do" he said, taking her arm.

A plan was beginning to form in his head as he led her back up the stairs that led to the dungeons.

**XXX**

Arthur woke to a sore back and sunlight brighter than it should have been. It took him a minute to realize that the cause of his back pain was the fact that he was on the ground and the sun was brighter because h was outside.

His eyes shot open to see a sunny woods around him and a small brook bubbling past on his right. It was a tad bit cold but still nice enough when the sun beat down through the trees.

The remains of a fire smoldered a few feet away from him and several bags lay against a tree. Next to them sat a strange looking wooden instrument that a tiny voice in the back of his mind told him was called a guitar, though he had no idea how the thought came to be there.

A branch snapped behind him and Arthur scrambled to his feet. Or at least he tried to. His hands and feet were bound together, stopping him from standing to see the figure come into his line of vision.

"Are those too tight? Cause I'm just saying, they weren't my idea" a strangely accented voice said.

He finally managed to look up and felt his face form into a scowl, before him, with her tiny hands on her hips, in a way that seemed strangely familiar, stood the young woman he had banished the day before. "Then whose idea were they?" he growled.

The girl dropped down next to him and pulled his feet into her lap, "Lancelot's actually. He was worried you might hurt me, but I'm pretty sure these are hurting you more than you could hurt me" she laughed softly.

Arthur was tempted to tell her he could hurt her very badly indeed, when her laugh distracted him. It sounded eerily familiar and for some reason made him ridiculously happy.

She looked up at him and saw it all written on his face, "I wouldn't try it sweetheart. I could kick your ass in about ten seconds flat" her voice was sharp but he could see that she would never truly hurt him.

"As Prince of Camelot, I demand you take me back this instant" he insisted.

The woman laughed again "And as standing Princess of Puerto Rico, I say no" she retorted easily.

Arthur had to try very hard to keep his jaw from dropping. Why had no one told him he'd attempted to banish a princess? She was probably just as used to getting her way as he was. "My Lady, my most sincere apologies for…" he began but trailed off as she began to laugh again.

"Arthur, we usually skip apologies. And since your head's been messed with, I will forgive you for calling me 'my lady'" she made a face at the last two words that was so comical that the Prince let out a tiny chuckle.

The woman raised her eyebrows "Funny huh? Well call me Cassie, or I'll keep you tied up here as long as it takes."

Her name reminded him that his father called her Lady Cassandra. He wasn't sure what to make of this strange and familiar young woman but he found himself relaxing.

She noticed as well and grinned, a wild, reckless grin that pulled at a tiny string that used to attach to his heart. "Here's how we're going to do this, I'm going to tell you about me, and then I'm going to tell you about you. And then you're going to remember" she said, squirming until she was in a comfortable position.

He raised his eyebrows "And how would you know all about me?" he asked.

Cassie rolled her eyes "Because I know you, dipshit" she said as if it was obvious.

Arthur had no idea what the word 'dipshit' meant but he assumed it wasn't a compliment, "Fine then, prove it" his eyes assessed her in a challenge.

Unfazed, she simply rolled her eyes and stared at him for a second before speaking "You have four scars that run horizontally along your ribcage on your right side. You got them when you were mauled by some massive bear on steroids when you were out hunting because you were mad at me."

He scoffed "You're close with Merlin, he could have told you all this. Besides, the day I went hunting I was confused, not angry" he said. Then added a tad uncertainly "And it was about Victoria, not you."

Her expression was unreadable but he sensed the tiniest bit of disappointment in her stare and immediately felt guilty. He was almost sure it had been Victoria who he'd cornered in the hall during the banquet, who'd against even what she wanted, rejected him. But the seed of doubt was there and he could easily see the tiny girl he sat with in the woods, in front of him that night. Her big, hazel eyes a mix of confusion, longing and sorrow. The same way they were now.

"Okay, so I am close with Merlin. But he couldn't have told me what you said to me that night. Or all the things you told me when you were recovering from the bear attack and I stayed with you constantly. What do I have to do to make you remember?" she asked.

The look in her eyes almost broke his heart. He _wanted_ to remember and he didn't understand why he couldn't. Why, whenever he tried to think of times he'd seen her in the past, Victoria filled his head.

"Alright, so I'll tell you about me. You know most of it already but I can reiterate" Cassie brought him out of his thoughts, hiding her hurt well.

He nodded slowly and she launched into an introduction. She was from a kingdom far away, across a massive sea. She came from a large family and used to have a brother. She hated girly things, loved the ocean and made music her life.

"That's what that thing does, isn't it?" Arthur interrupted, pointing at the strange wooden instrument.

She beamed "Yes it is, and you know what it's called" she prompted.

"A guitar?" he guessed softly, worried both that he'd be right and that he'd be wrong.

Her grin grew wider "Yeah, it's a guitar" she reached back for it and pulled it into her lap, "I can play something if you like?" she offered. Without waiting for his nod, she pulled a small triangular, purple object out of her braid. She used it to pluck out a fast, rhythm on the instrument. It changed quickly as she went through it and he felt himself let his eyes slide closed as the song turned slow and soft.

Arthur simply sat and listened, leaning back against a tree and breathing deeply. The song was pretty in a simple ways but if he listened he could hear the complex harmonies woven through it.

Just as he felt himself about to drift off the instrument faded out and was replaced by her voice "_A la nanita nana, nanita ella, nanita ella. Mi niño tiene sueno, bendito sea, bendito sea._"

Arthurs eyes shot open and he sat straight up "_Cassie!_"

**XXX**

Merlin was tired. In fact he was so tired, he was tempted to collapse on the nearest horizontal surface and sleep for the next few hours.

The night before he and Cassie had woken up nearly half the castle to enlist their help in curing Arthur and the men form Valeon of Victoria's mind tricks. All it had taken was a pleading smile from Cassie and everyone had agreed to help.

He, Lancelot and Gaius had, with the help of some of the other Knights and Guards, managed to get Ewan and the six knights of Valeon locked upstairs in Gaius's chambers, where they proceeded to try every remedy Gaius had in his books and every spell Merlin could find.

Nothing worked.

"Maybe we should try talking to them about Valeon" Lancelot suggested.

Gaius nodded "It could possibly make them remember why they are really here and who Victoria really is" he agreed.

The seven men sat on the floor, unconscious for the moment, their hands and feet tied. Lancelot pulled a chair out to the open floor space in front of them, turned it backwards and sat on it, leaning his arms on the back.

Merlin murmured a spell and the men slowly began to wake up. As they realized they were out of their beds and tied up they began to struggle.

Lancelot cleared his throat and they all froze, staring up at him. "Good morning gentlemen, I'm sure you're all a bit confused at the moment. We apologize for all of this, but it has to be done" he said, his voice very soothing and clam.

Ewan spoke for them "What has to be done?" he asked, his eyes slightly less blank than usual.

"We have to get you out from under a spell" Merlin put in, he stepped forward, looking directly at a red-haired knight, who looked very young and a little scared "Can you tell me about Valeon? About your life there and why you came here?" he asked.

The knight nodded very slowly and tentatively began speaking of what he did in Valeon, and the training he went through as a knight. Then he told them about the mission to Camelot. "We were supposed to come here to negotiate a peace treaty. Ewan is the king and queen's best ambassador so they sent him with us to protect him. It is a long way from Valeon to Camelot, and one night we stopped to rest in a cave by a river that had frozen in the northern cold." His eyes now looked clearer and his voice had taken on a stronger tone.

Another knight piped up and continued for him "In the morning there was this incredibly beautiful woman telling us that she was another emissary and we were to treat her as such. Ewan agreed so we did as well."

Ewan was staring at them, his brow furrowed in concentration as he tried to remember this.

"Gentlemen, I'm going to read you something and you're going to tell me if the woman fits this description" Lancelot said, picking up a book from the table next to him. He read aloud the description of Noxies then looked up.

Then knights of Valeon all nodded vigorously "That's exactly what Victoria is! And it's how she tricked us!" one of them said.

"You're all clearly confused" Ewan finally said, "Victoria isn't a magical creature, she's an emissary from Valeon just as I am."

The rest of them men in the room sighed. They still had some work to do.

**XXX**

Arthur reached forward and yanked Cassie into his arms. She squeaked in protest and he laughed, kissing the crown of her head.

"Does this mean you remember me?" she asked quietly, her hands hovering tentatively at his sides.

"Yes, yes it does. And I am so, so sorry for ever forgetting you" he kissed her head again. She smiled at this and slid her arms around his back, burying her face in his shoulder.

They sat like that for a long time, Arthur murmuring apologies in her ear and Cassie simply smiling against his shirt.

Finally she leaned back and opened her mouth to tell him they needed to go back to Camelot, when Arthur cut her off with a kiss.

After a few seconds Cassie pushed him away, "We have time for a reunion later, now we have to get back to the castle before Victoria kills your father" she said, starting to get up.

He jumped up, knocking her the rest of the way off his lap and to the ground "What?" he asked, reaching down to help her up.

Cassie gave him a look before answering "Victoria planned to kill your father and use your attachment to her to become queen of Camelot. We have to go back and stop her."

"Then let's go!" he said, looking around for any mode of transportation. She rolled her eyes and led him around the tree they were standing in front of to see a Horse tethered to the one next to it.

Arthur raised his eyebrows "You rode a horse out here on your own?" he asked her skeptically.

She narrowed her eyes at him, her mouth forming into a pout and he laughed before turning to grab the saddlebags. He attached them to the saddle and climbed up, holding a hand out for Cassie and her guitar to get on behind him. She handed him her guitar instead and climbed up behind him on her own. He chuckled and shook his head before handing the instrument back to her and spurring the horse into motion.

Once they were almost back at the castle Cassie shouted for him to stop. He did so and turned to look at her over his shoulder.

"I have to get off here" she told him "Victoria doesn't know I have you, and she doesn't know her spell is broken. In order for our plan to work, you have to pretend you're still in love with her."

Arthur made a face to show exactly how little he liked that idea and Cassie laughed "You can do this" she said before kissing him quickly and dismounting.

With a quick wink she slapped the flank of his horse and sent it into a gallop towards the castle. Arthur peeked behind him one last time to see her watching from where she stood.

He turned back towards the castle and set his shoulders, spurring his horse faster to get this done with.

**XXX**

Morgana shot a grin at Gwen before raising her fist and knocking on the large door in front of her. There was no immediate answer, so she knocked again. Then a third time until finally the door swung open to reveal a very unhappy looking Victoria.

"Good morning!" Morgana said cheerfully, "I'm the Lady Morgana, King Uther's ward, and this is Gwen, my ladies maid" she introduced.

Victoria pasted a very fake smile on her face "It is very nice to meet you, I am Lady Victoria of Valeon" she said, making to close the door. Morgana stopped her, steeping into the room, Gwen following, her head down to hide a grin.

Victoria scowled "Is there anything I can do for you my lady?" she asked, her politeness obviously fake.

"Yes! Actually I wanted to offer you one of m dresses for the banquet tonight. We're close enough to the same size and I'm sure you don't have anything appropriate because of the long journey" she smiled brightly.

Gwen grinned aw well at her and Victoria was left with no choice but to join them. she followed the two through the castle, to Morgana's elegant chambers. Once there, she threw open her wardrobe to reveal it stuffed with dresses.

Gwen began to pull out dresses at random "Oh this would look lovely on you my lady! And this too!"

This time Morgana had to hide her laugh.

After hours of trying on dresses, Victoria's patience was running thin. She was sick of these silly girls and was contemplating killing them, when a servant burst into the room.

"Merlin!" Morgana stood, addressing the skinny servant boy by name, "What is it?" she asked, her eyes flicking to Victoria for the briefest second. She was immediately suspicious.

"Uh… Gaius wanted to know if you needed another sleeping draft" he said, shuffling his feet uncomfortably.

Morgana smiled "No, tell him thank you but my sleep has been rather peaceful of late" she said and the boy scampered out of the room.

Gwen noticed the suspicion in Victoria's eyes and knew that Merlin had just given Morgana the signal to let her know that Ewan and the knights had been cured and Arthur and Cassie were back, "Morgana, you shouldn't be so obvious!" she chided, teasingly, then she turned to Victoria "Merlin thinks you're the most lovely woman he's ever seen but he's shy. We weren't supposed to tell you but Morgana's being so obvious about it."

Victoria's suspicion morphed into vanity and she smiled "Well of course, I wouldn't say anything to the poor boy" she said.

Morgana smiled back, thinly concealing her contempt for the creature in front of her who's own vanity would be her downfall, "Well I should have a bath before the banquet, Gwen will take that one in a bit for you before tonight" she pointed to a random dress.

Victoria smiled again and thanked them both before exiting the room.

**XXX**

That night the banquet to celebrate the signing of the peace treaty was filled with happy members of Camelot's court, involved in all kinds of revelry, drinking, eating and dancing.

Merlin stood in the back watching, waiting for the plan to take effect. Victoria stood by Arthur who was barely concealing his distaste for her. Morgana sat up at the high table watching over Uther with a fierce protectiveness. Gwen stood behind her, her eyes scanning the room warily. Lancelot stood with Ewan and the other knights of Valeon stood strategically around the room. Victoria had done a skimpy job on their memories, only enchanting them to listen to her and not speak.

Gaius looked over at him from the side table he stood at. They knew Victoria would make her move that night. The emissaries from Valeon would be returning to their kingdom and she would miss her chance.

They couldn't know when she would attempt to kill Uther so they figured they'd force her hand. Gaius glanced back at the door to the banquet hall just as it opened.

In walked a smiling Cassie, wearing a gold ball gown that showed off the dark inked words on her tan skin. She looked incredible and the welcome she received from the rest of the room was enough to make Victoria pale in anger.

She turned nearly white and grabbed Arthur, pulling him down for a kiss. He pulled away, to look back at Cassie, who at the moment was embracing Sir Leon.

Victoria made a frustrated noise and turned to the king at the high table, beginning to screech out words in a strange language.

Her eyes began to glow a bright blue as everyone turned in her direction. Uther stood, looking her in half horror, half confusion.

Merlin leapt into action, darting through frozen, confused partygoers. In his peripheral vision he saw Lancelot, Cassie, Ewan and the other knights of Valeon moving as well. Morgana stood, ready to knock the King out of the way.

Merlin murmured a spell as he wove in between the confused people in the banquet hall. He saw Victoria pull a dagger out of her sleeve as Uther climbed over the table and walked towards her, his eyes glowing the same blue as hers were. Morgana moved to stop him, but her skirts stuck on the table, slowing her down.

This wasn't how things were supposed to go and it was getting out of hand. Uther reached Victoria as Lancelot reached him. He took the dagger out of her hand and raised it, pointing it at himself.

Lancelot slammed into him snatching the dagger out of his hand and stabbed it into Victoria's heart.

She screeched an unnaturally high pitched and animalistic sound as she began to dissolve into white snow, her form arching and twisting into a horrific un-human shape before falling into a pile on the ground.

Uther snapped out of his trance and stared in horror at the scene before him. "What happened?" he asked as Arthur snapped out of his own trance.

Cassie reached them then and the prince pulled her into his arms, holding her almost protectively. She rolled her eyes.

"Lancelot saved you sire" Morgana, who had finally made it over the table, piped up.

Uther turned to the dark haired man beside him, who was looking down at his feet modestly "Didn't I order you never to return to Camelot?" he asked.

Cassie frowned and made to move forward to defend him but Arthur stopped her. Merlin, Gwen and Gaius all waited nervously for what Uther would say next as Lancelot nodded.

"And you have come back to save my life?" he questioned. Lancelot nodded again. Uther made a slight face then turned to his son "You have a knighthood to bestow in the morning" he said then turned to the knights from Valeon.

Lancelot looked absolutely floored and barely noticed when Gwen rushed forward and hugged him.

Ewan and his knights explained everything to the King, how Victoria was a Noxie and how she attacked them and controlled their minds.

They agreed to renegotiate the treaty, properly this time and finish it by tomorrow.

The banquet ended early, and everyone went back to their rooms to sleep. Everyone except Arthur. He went up to the highest parapet to think.

He had nearly let someone make him forget about the most important person to him. He cared about Cassie more than he could even understand and he couldn't let anything come between them ever again.

Hearing footsteps behind him he whirled. There stood Merlin, wringing his hands the way he did when he wasn't sure if Arthur was going to yell at him or not.

The Prince sighed and nodded him over. Merlin joined him leaning against the wall, looking out over the kingdom.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked tentatively.

After a second Arthur nodded "I was just thinking about everything that happened" he started, then stopped. He had never been any good at sharing his feelings, being Prince of Camelot was a lonely life and it was difficult for him to open up to anyone. But Merlin was the best friend he had and he was a pretty good friend, so he continued, "I care about Cassie more than anything and I hate to think of what I put her through, I never want her to think I don't care about her anymore" he admitted.

Merlin frowned. He didn't know much about girls, or feelings like that. But he knew about Cassie. He knew she would never blame Arthur for anything out of his control. And he knew she cared about him as much as he cared about her. "So tell her that." he shrugged.

Arthur looked at him, observing the skinny, awkward boy, who just sometimes gave him the best advice. "Thanks Merlin, I think I will."

**XXX**

**A/N: **So I only got one response saying they would like a Narnia story which is okay but I would like some help from all my wonderful, darling, lovely readers (have I flattered you enough yet?) to figure out which story idea I want to use. I have three and I could use any of them but I want to know what you think.

Narnia story options:

Basically all take place about a year after the Dawn Treader. All the Pevensies are called back to Narnia by accident because of my OC who's in Narnia and two of the options she blows the horn by accident.

Option 1:

At the end of WWII, Tessa goes to England to search for her missing fiancé. While there she finds a wardrobe in the attic and opens it. She ends up in Narnia where, after intense shenanigans, she finds the cutest little horn and blows it to see how it sounds.

Option 2:

Tara is a photography assistant in England for work. One day she finds a wardrobe in an antique shop and at the insistence of her friend she climbs in. It leads her to Narnia where she is confused and harassed same as first option, she finds the horn yada, yada… this character will be a lot like Cassie.

Option 3:

Elara is not a spy, or a criminal, despite what King Caspian thinks. When the horn is blown and the Kings and Queens of old show up they find a very annoyed Princess of an island kingdom warning them about invaders from a place across the sea.

All:

Narnia is facing war from a foreign place, but this attack is more than it seems. There is a source of dark magic behind all of this and it's going to take my dear OC to figure it out.

And as incentive, whoever votes, I will send a message with a bit of the first chapter once I finish it.


	22. Chapter 22:Can You Feel the Love Tonight

**A/N:** So this one's a tad short. Sorry bout that but it's super cute and fluffy and there's only so much of that I can write without things getting boring. I'm going to leave it up to your imaginations about how far Cassie and Arthur go. Entirely up to what you're comfortable or happy with.

OH! And to all the lovelies who gave me feedback on the idea of a Narnia story, that is in motion. I have written chapter 1 and more stuff is bouncing around in this strange head of mine. To the ones who gave me an answer I'll send you a message with the sneak peak sometime this weekend :)

To my anonymous fan: how would you like to see your sneak peek? Cause I definitely owe you it :)

**XXX**

Cassie burst through the doors to Arthur's chambers at a run, catching the Prince by surprise as he tugged on his boots.

"Arthur!" she exclaimed. Her eyes were wide and bright with excitement and her cheeks were tinged with pink from her run through the castle, "It's snowing!" she announced with the excitement of a young child.

Arthur smiled glancing back out the window, "So it is" he said. He wasn't sure he understood her excitement, snow was cold and wet and made his life difficult in the winter when he was supposed to train his knights.

"Well come on" she said, coming over to take his hand and practically drag him out the door.

"Cassie where are we going?" he laughed as she led them down the hallway and towards the nearest set of stairs.

She rolled her eyes "To play in the snow, duh" she said as if it should have been obvious.

Arthur raised his eyebrows. Only children played in the snow and even then it wasn't for very long before they were called upon by their parents to help around the house or come inside out of the chill.

But Cassie would not be deterred. She marched them right out into the snow filled courtyard that was startlingly empty for a change. All the other people of Camelot were being smart and staying indoors.

She bent down and started rolling snow into her hands. She wasn't dressed properly for snow in the dress she had on, but she didn't seem to mind. Finally she had finished rolling the snow into a perfect sphere.

Arthur who had been watching her skeptically raised his eyebrows as she stood up, compressing the snowball between her hands.

Without warning she threw it at him, hitting him right in the center of the chest. Cold immediately seeped through his thin shirt and his jaw dropped open.

Cassie laughed at his expression "It's a snowball fight. Don't tell me you've never had a snowball fight before?" she teased, coming over and shaking the excess snow off his shirt.

He shook his head, half appalled and half amused at her actions. She laughed again and leaned up to kiss him gently before dancing away and beginning to explain the rules of a snow ball war.

"You make two forts out of snow and then you make snowballs and throw them at each other. When a person gets hit by three snowballs they're out" she told him.

He laughed "You seem to know a lot about this" he teased.

She shrugged "Growing up there were about six of us, it worked out nice for teams" she grinned.

The door to the empty courtyard opened and Merlin poked his dark head out "What are you two doing out here?" he asked.

"Merlin! Come join our snowball fight! You can be on Arthur's team, he needs all the help he can get" she shot a sly look at the Prince who laughed and lunged for her, picking her up by the middle and throwing her over his shoulder.

She screeched in laughter and Merlin rolled his eyes at how coupley they were. He had no idea what a snowball fight was but he could guess, and he wasn't sure he wanted to join. But then Arthur put Cassie down and she turned to him expectantly.

He descended the stairs warily, half worried that she would launch a ball of the freezing slush at him.

Arthur watched her as she animatedly explained all the rules, complete with comical hand gestures and facial expressions.

Her hair was slipping out of the ponytail she'd tied it in and his fingers itched to push it back from her face.

It had been a week and a half since Merlin had suggested he tell Cassie he loved her and he still hadn't done it. There had been a number of times when he'd almost simply gone up to her and announced his feelings for her.

He'd though up countless scenarios of candlelit dinners and romantic walks around the Castle grounds where he could tell her how much she meant to him but then the winter had set in and he'd been spending more time brainstorming ways to keep warm than planning romantic moments.

"Well go on! Start making your snow fort!" Cassie commanded, shooing Merlin over to the Prince.

She walked to the other side of the courtyard and bent down to begin amassing her own snow fort.

"Sometimes I wonder where in the world she could have come from" the dark haired boy said shaking his head.

Arthur laughed "I wonder the exact same thing Merlin" he said shaking his head.

**XXX**

"Oaky is everyone ready?" Cassie called to the thirty or so people who had joined their game in the courtyard. Among them was Gwen, Morgana, the newly knighted Lancelot, Sir Leon and most of the younger servants.

She received nods and yes's back and smiled "Alright, 1. 2. 3. GO!" she shouted and dove behind her own fort. The snowballs started flying, at first in all directions as they got the feel of it then with better accuracy.

Cassie balled up a lump of snow and peeked over the edge of the fort to see Merlin come up for a throw. She quickly popped up and launched the snowball at him, hitting him squarely in the face just as he let go of his own snowball.

She laughed loudly at his expression as he wiped the cold slush off his face and he shot a glare in her direction before being hit in the arm by another snowball.

Merlin ducked below the fort and brushed snow off his jacket. He frowned and peeked back over the edge of the fort. He saw Cassie come up for a throw and whispered a few magic words under his breath, causing a snowball to change direction mid-air and hit Cassie in the shoulder.

"Nice one Gwen!" she called across to the grinning serving girl.

"I wasn't even aiming at you!" Gwen laughed before ducking to avoid a snowball launched by one of the kitchen boys.

The courtyard was filled with the sounds of laughter and cries as people threw and were hit by snowballs, along with the cheers of the people who had gathered to watch as the game dwindled down to three or four players on each side.

Arthur was one of the few left and Merlin shouted for him from the side. He had been the first one out.

One of the doors to the side of the courtyard opened and someone walked out behind Arthur, just as Cassie threw a snowball at him. The Prince ducked and the man behind him was nailed in the face with the snowball.

King Uther let out a shocked noise, and wiped the snow off his face. Cassie gasped and covered her mouth with her hands looking at her host in horror, though the hit of a smile played about her eyes like she was trying her very hardest not to laugh.

"What is this?" Uther asked to no one in particular.

Arthur who had also been trying to hide a laugh as he crouched on the ground, stood. "It's a snowball fight father. Lady Cassandra showed it to us, it's a game they play in Puerto Rico when it snows" he informed the King.

Cassie almost laughed at the idea of snow in Puerto Rico but somehow managed to disguise it as a cough. "I am so terribly sorry your highness! I was aiming for Arthur" she said, stepping forward with a sweet and apologetic smile.

Uther looked over her soaked dress and messy hair, not missing the brightness in her eyes and the [ink in her cheeks. He smiled "It was an honest mistake my lady, I am not offended, however I do need my servants back. We are having a Yule banquet in a matter of weeks and we must be prepared" he said the last part loud enough for the entire courtyard to hear.

The servants began to file quickly back into the castle, all remembering the endless list of chores in the days leading up to Christmas.

Gwen followed Morgana into the castle, both complaining of cold and the need for a warm bath. Lancelot followed Sir Leon and the other knights to their own chambers to sit by the fire and drink warm meade.

Merlin disappeared to help Gaius with some medicines for the winter aches of the older members of the court.

Finally Arthur and Cassie were the only ones left in the courtyard. "See? Wasn't that fun?" she asked, walking over to him and wrapping her arms around his waist.

He leaned down and kissed her before answering "Yes it was" he smiled before noticing she was shivering, "Let's go inside Cas, you're freezing" he said and put an arm around her to lead her back to the castle.

Once inside he led her up to his room and pulled out a chair for her to sit on in front of the fire. Cassie sat there warming her hands for a few minutes before kicking off her combat boots and warming her feet as well.

Slowly she regained feeling in her fingers and toes but the rest of her was still covered in her soaked, and most likely ruined dress.

Arthur pulled up a chair and sat next to her pulling off his own boots and holding his hands and feet to the fire.

Cassie stood up and began digging through Arthur's wardrobe, pulling out a pair of trousers and a shirt. She disappeared behind his screen, ignoring his confused look.

After a few minutes and much rustling she emerged wearing his dry clothes and throwing the dress in a wet heap on the floor.

The clothes were huge on her, making her tiny frame look even smaller. He grinned and reached out to pull her into his lap.

"But you're still all cold and wet!" she complained squirming on top of him.

Arthur laughed "And you're all warm" he said burying his face in her still slightly damp hair.

She leaned back and looked up at him a peculiar kind of mischief in her eyes "Then we'll just have to warm you up, wont we?" she asked.

**XXX**

"W-why is this c-castle so c-c-cold?" Gwen muttered to herself as she walked towards the kitchens where there would be a warm fire for her to stand in front of.

She had almost reached the kitchen when someone came up behind her and put their hands over her eyes. Whoever it was, they were warm and dry and Gwen shivered, craving warmth for herself.

"Gwen" Lancelot's voice said her name softly. She felt herself smile and turned, staying very close to him.

He smiled as well, looking down at her "You're cold" he observed, noticing her periodic shivers.

She raised an eyebrow "I just spent the last few hours cavorting in the snow, of course I'm cold."

Lancelot chuckled "There's still a bath tub in my room that you are welcome to use" he offered, a soft grin on his handsome face.

Gwen sighed. A hot bath of her own would be lovely compared to the one she had to share with the other servants. The tub was barely big enough for her to crouch in and the water was usually dirty and cool by the time she finished her nightly chores and got to use it.

But she couldn't. She was a servant and Lancelot was now a Knight of Camelot. "I can't" she said, regret coloring her tone.

He scoffed, "Nonsense, I've even had it refilled with hot water for you" his voice was tempting and low.

With a groan Gwen agreed, "Fine, but I will repay the favor sometime" she told him.

He grinned "There's no need love" he said before kissing her gently.

She pulled away and gently slapped his arm "Lancelot!" she scolded "You know we can't do this in public!"

He glanced around "I don't see anyone else" he said and leaned down to kiss her again.

Gwen ducked out from under his arm "I could really use that hot bath now" she said, starting towards his chambers.

Lancelot laughed softly and turned to follow her, taking her hand as he did.

**XXX**

Morgana sighed as she came around the corner, having just heard the exchange between Gwen and Lancelot.

First Arthur, now Gwen. Everyone around her seemed to be finding love. She was happy for them and hoped the best for them but she was a tad bit jealous at the same time.

She had spent most of her life as Uther's sheltered ward, almost more like a daughter to him that he would constantly protect from the world.

But Morgana was old enough now to meet new people and fall in love. She just hadn't.

Plenty of people came to Camelot on political business and just to see the kingdom, and there was a whole slew of knights that lived right in the castle with her. But no one had caught Morgana's eye.

She sighed again and continued walking down the corridor, not looking where she was going and almost slammed into Merlin.

"Oh, Morgana" he said, just as surprised as she was. He smiled at her, finally all warm and dry after the snowball fight.

She smiled back "Sorry Merlin, I wasn't looking where I was going" she said, moving to go around him.

He turned and walked with her in the direction he had just come "That was fun this morning wasn't it?" he asked.

Morgana nodded, her mind miles away. Merlin was saying something else, probably about the game that morning, but Morgana was tuned out, thinking of falling in love.

After a few minutes she realized Merlin had stopped walking with her. She looked around but he was nowhere in sight.

**XXX**

"What's this mean?" Arthur asked, pressing his thumb to the spot on Cassie's hip where there was a tattoo of a four leaf clover.

They were lying on his ridiculously comfortable bed and the shirt Cassie had stolen from him had ridden up to reveal the small tattoo on her hip bone.

She smiled "Well I'm half Irish" she told him, her eyes closed as she snuggled in deeper to the blankets.

"Irish?" he asked, rubbing his thumb gently over the small green mark.

Cassie bit her lip, trying to come up with a way to explain "My father is Irish, it's a place and his family is from there. The four leaf clover is their symbol of good luck" she said. He nodded.

She smiled before continuing "And most people who see it are getting lucky" her smile turned mischievous.

"Getting…?" Arthur trailed off as he realized exactly what that meant. He laughed before he got the full meaning of what she'd said. "So other people have seen it?" he asked.

She resisted the urge to groan. She didn't exactly feel like discussing her sex life with Arthur. It had to be sort of obvious she wasn't a virgin. Where she came from the idea was strange, but she guessed that in this time, it was expected.

"There was a man that I was in love with for a long time" she decided to explain, "We were together for a few years and we both cared very much about each other. It was something we both wanted and it brought us closer. Then our relationship ended and we both moved on."

He was silent for a long time "What happened?" he finally asked very softly.

Cassie shrugged "Things changed." An image of Alex's funeral popped into her head and she pushed it away quickly.

After another long silence Arthur reached over and pulled her towards him "I don't like the idea of having to share you" he murmured into her hair.

She laughed and leaned up to kiss him "You don't have to, and you never will" she told him before pressing her lips to his.

She knew it was a lie, and one that would hurt him, but she couldn't not say it. He meant too much to her to hurt.

"Cassie" Arthur said after another minute or so of silence and kissing.

"Mmm?" she asked, her eyes closed.

"Can you teach me something in your language?" he asked.

She leaned back and looked at him for a moment, her face screwed up in concentration "_No sé qué vas a hacer con eso pero si quieres aprender, puedo ayudar_" she shrugged.

He looked at her in confusion "What's that all mean?" he asked.

She grinned mischievously "It means your father's outside and about to come in to yell at us for wasting the day away on your bed" she lied.

Arthur jumped up and she laughed. He turned to her in confusion before realizing she was kidding. With a half growl, half laugh he jumped on her, bouncing the bed loudly and causing her to laugh even harder.

"You should have seen your face!" she laughed.

He rolled his eyes and kissed her before rolling off of her back to his side of the bed.

She finally stopped giggling and rolled to face him "Sorry, it was just too good to resist" she teased, "But really, I'll teach you Spanish" she said.

Arthur let a small smile cross his face "Well what's that word you call me sometimes?" he asked.

Cassie frowned "The nice one?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"So you call me a not nice one?" he asked, laughing.

She laughed as well and shook her head "Only when you're being stubborn. The nice one, though, is _cariño_" she told him.

"_Cariño_" he tried it out and frowned at the strange shape of the words on his tongue. Cassie nodded encouragingly and he tried it again. It was still strange to say the word and flip the R with his tongue the way she did. "What does it mean?" he asked.

"Dear one" she answered smiling.

Arthur grinned back, flattered by the endearment. Then he was struck by an idea. "Cas, how do you say 'I love you'" he asked. He felt her stiffen against him and hoped it was in surprise more than anything else.

After a long second she answered "_Te amo_ is I love you in Spanish" she said softly.

He moved so she was looking him in the eyes, hers were wide slightly nervous and he lost himself in them for a second until she blinked and brought him back to the cloudy reality of their own little world. "Then Cassandra Hayes, _Te amo_" he said before pressing his lips to hers.

After a second Cassie pulled away "_Te amo tambien, con todo mi alma y todo mi corazón_" she whispered to him.


	23. Chapter 23: Breathe Disaster

**A/N:** I am SO sorry this took so long. There's this awful thing called college that's decided to control my life. It is a short chapter but this little adventure will probably be in at least three possibly four parts. And I found the perfect place to end it. Not much happens but the end's exciting. I'll try to get something out again soon.

**XXX**

Cassie had never seen Camelot so busy. People from all over the kingdom were arriving by the minute and the servants had worked themselves into a frenzy.

She had wandered out to the grounds with her guitar, eager for space. She sat on the grassy slope, and pulled her guitar into her lap, determined to finish the song she was currently working on. The riffs and chord progressions had started back on tour but the lyrics had come to her while she was in Camelot.

"I wanna know what you know. I wanna go where you go. Take a trip to the end of time, kiss your lips grab your hips and fly away." She sang softly before stopping to redo a note or two in the intro.

She continued messing around with chords and words until she heard someone coming from the Castle behind her.

She turned to see a very out of breath Merlin come to a stop next to her. "Cassie? What are you doing out here? Everyone arriving wants to meet you!" he told her.

She raised her eyebrows "Why would any of them want to meet me?" she asked, brushing her fingers across the strings of the instrument situated on her lap. It gave off a breathy sound as the pads of her callused fingers brushed past the thin ribbons of steel.

Merlin rolled his eyes as his friends depreciation of her own worth, "You're new and interesting and news has traveled of you and Arthur's relationship. Everyone wants to know who you are" he insisted.

Cassie made a face and shrugged, turning back to her guitar "They can wait till the arrival banquet tonight just like everyone else" she said.

Again he rolled his eyes "Come on Cassie please! All the women here are jealous of you and all the men are making Arthur jealous, please come before he chops my head off?" he begged.

This time it was her turn to roll her eyes "Fine, but I'll say hi to a few people and then I'm coming right back out here to finish this song." She huffed.

He grinned and took the guitar from her as she got up "Are you playing the song tonight at the banquet?" he asked as they walked towards the castle.

She nodded "I think so, if I can't finish fixing it before then it'll be one of the songs off the record" she said, so lost in her thoughts of chords and lyrics, that she forgot Merlin had no idea what a record was.

At his confused silence she looked up and explained best she could "It's a group of songs, that are put into a disk, that with the right kind of machine can be played back without requiring the musicians."

He looked even more confused and Cassie gave up "Nevermind" she said shaking her head and entering the castle.

It was even more of a madhouse than it had been when she'd left and Cassie was nearly trampled by a large servant carrying a load of trunks towards the stairs. "Sorry yer highness!" he called back as he attempted to balance the trunks up the steep servants stairs.

"It's alright!" she called back, "Would you like any help with that?" she asked.

The man stopped for a second to shoot her a fond smile "No, my lady, go meet the other lords and ladies and enjoy yerself" he said before continuing on his treacherous way.

Cassie smiled and allowed Merlin to lead her to the Kings conference room where some of the finest ladies and lords of Camelot had gathered for a drink.

All chatter stopped the second she entered the room and it was a second before Arthur stepped forward to take her arm and lead her into the room. "May I present the Lady Cassandra, Princess of Puerto Rico" he said sending her a secret smile.

She gave him a quick wink back before turning to meet all the Lords and Ladies.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, your highness" one of the women, a slim redhead with baby blue eyes and an easy smile curtseyed to her.

Cassie waved off the title "Call me Cassie, please, everyone does. And what is your name?" she asked the girl.

"Cassie" the redhead tried out the nickname and then grinned "Linda, Lady of Grenoe" she said.

"You know _Linda_ means pretty in my native language" Cassie told her. The other people in the room were listening intently, no doubt judging the foreign princess as they did so.

"Really?" Linda asked, her face brightening. Cassie nodded and the other girl smiled "Well then I am glad to have such a name" she said before stepping back to let others meet the young and friendly Princess.

**XXX**

"Oh I hate meeting all those people" Cassie complained to Arthur as she picked at the fruit on a tray Merlin had brought to his room.

"Why?" the Prince asked from behind his screen as he changed for the banquet in a few hours.

"Because they all judge me. And none of them will call me Cassie except Linda" she smiled at the mention of the other girl.

"They're supposed to judge you, you're a princess" Arthur said coming out, pulling a jacket on.

She made a face "Doesn't mean I like it."

He laughed and shook his head before kissing her head gently "Don't you have a banquet to get ready for?" he asked as he grabbed a grape off the fruit tray.

Cassie rolled her eyes and got up, "You are no fun" she said. She wandered to the door and opened it, ready to leave "_Ciao mi amor_" she smiled at him and left.

Arthur had no idea what she'd just said be he smiled like a fool anyway.

**XXX**

"I'm so _bored_" Merlin hissed to Gwen. The banquet had just begun and no one interesting was there yet. Arthur was playing good host with his father but the other knights were late as usual and Cassie and Morgana had taken to being something Cassie described as fashionably late.

Gwen nudged him hard in the stomach "Oh hush Merlin. I'm sure someone can find something for you to do" she said, teasing him.

"But no one interesting is here" he whined.

Gwen was about to respond when the doors opened and in walked all the knights, already half drunk and finally at the banquet for more revelry. Uther gave them a disapproving look but his attention was diverted by an old friend approaching him to wish him happy holidays.

After the knights filed in the doors didn't even get a chance to close before Morgana walked in, followed after a few seconds by Cassie.

Both women looked simply gorgeous. Morgana's long dark hair had been pinned up so her pale shoulders were fully visible through the black lace overlay of her dress. The color underneath was a dark green that brought out her eyes.

Cassie was in a strapless blue dress that revealed the tattoos on her shoulder and back, her light brown hair in a simple side braid and a happy smile on her face.

All the people in the room that had met Cassie sent her kind smiles before shrugging to their companions, assuming that was just the way things were done in Puerto Rico. The people who hadn't met her stared at her in horror, amazement and admiration.

Arthur quickly approached her and took her arm with a proud smile, walking her around the room, showing off that she was his. She rolled her eyes at his antics but allowed it.

"Interested now?" Gwen teased, noticing how Merlin watched Lady Linda talk with one of the knights.

The dark haired boy gave her a look and turned away.

**XXX**

"May I present the Lady Cassandra to sing a piece for us" Uther said after they had all eaten. Cassie stood from her seat and smiled at Arthur as he squeezed her hand.

Gwen came forwards with her guitar and Cassie sat on the high chair another servant brought out. She strummed the guitar experimentally before smiling out at the assembled people one last time.

"I wanna know what you know, I wanna go where you go. Take a trip to the end of time, kiss your lips grab your hips and fly away" she sang.

The lyrics poured out of her mouth like water, giving voice to her growing apprehension about the fact that she wasn't supposed to stay in Camelot. "It's gonna be hard when I'm gone. I'll take this time to sit down and write you a song. Simple words and a melody to explain exactly what you mean to me. Oh baby"

Her eyes darted to Arthur and she saw his face in a concerned smile. He knew her too well and could tell how much she meant the words she sang.

"Lets pick it up where we last left off, you know the part where I come unraveled. I need this memory to keep me strong when the weight of the world comes crashing down." She felt tears prick her eyes and blinked hard to keep them back.

"I'll take this time…" she started the last verse when the door at the far end of the hall banged and everyone turned. Cassie stopped playing.

In the doorway stood a hunched old man. His tangled white hair fell to down his back and his robe was dirty and torn. He raised his eyes to the hall and stared out at them with such a hatred that almost everyone leaned back involuntarily.

His eyes fixated on the high table and he glared at the King and Prince. "You, the oppressor of your people" he said in a voice that sounded dry and crackly, "You who destroys the users of the ancient art of magic, you who denies your own past" he continued. The guards began to tense and inch towards the man. "You, King of Camelot, tonight, you shall die" the man raised a gnarled finger and pointed directly at Arthur.

The room gasped at large and Cassie stood up from her stool. The guards lunged for the man securing him between about seven of them.

The man screeched curses at them all as he was dragged off and the room was left in silence. As a guard had the presence of mind to close the doors, a worried chatter cropped up among the people in the room and Uther had to slam his hand on the high table several times to be heard.

"Lords and Ladies of Camelot and beyond!" he said loudly once he had everyone's attention, "I beg you not to be worried about the man who just interrupted us. Camelot has some of the finest guards and knights in the land. This problem shall be taken care of and you will all be able to enjoy your time here in peace" he said.

Cassie was rather impressed with the way he'd gotten a room full of people on the verge of a panic attack, to calm down so easily. But for her the man's words still chilled her, his talk of Uther's persecution of magic especially.

She had never agreed with it and had wanted to ask him about it but Merlin had advised her against it. He said that Uther was very prejudiced against users of magic. He hated them more than anything and didn't take to mentions of magic very well.

So the plan was to wait until Arthur was king and hope he didn't share his fathers prejudices.

That was the other part of the old man that was bothering her; the way he'd pointed at Arthur instead of Uther. Arthur wasn't king and hadn't actually killed anyone with magic. At least not to her knowledge.

But the old man had pointed right at him and it was making her nervous.

The rest of the banquet was slightly more solemn than it had been. Cassie sat up at the high table, holding Arthur's hand under the table and trying not to squeeze it too tight.

When she finally deemed it a suitable time to go up to bed she shot everyone a shaky smile before making her retreat.

She was halfway up the stairs when she heard footsteps behind her. Spooked, she whirled around to see Arthur, his eyebrows raised, a few steps below her.

She placed a hand over her rapidly beating heart, "Jesus, you scared me. What's up?" she asked seeing the skeptically concerned look on his face.

"You're a bit jittery" he commented, an eyebrow raised as he slowly approached her up the steps. It was dark and only the moonlight that filtered in through the windows lit the scene and put Cassie further on edge.

She shrugged, giving it her best attempt at sounding nonchalant. She was still shaky.

Arthur stopped on the step below her, putting himself only a few inches taller than her. "What's wrong Cassie?" he asked.

She bit her lip. Between her thoughts of losing him permanently when she left and the threats of the little old man she was a little high strung. "I'm just a little jittery like you said. I need sleep and everything will be fine in the morning" she insisted.

He rolled his eyes and placed his hands on her hips to anchor her there on the step in front of him. "What was the point of that song?" he asked, his eyebrow raised.

She resisted the urge to groan. She did not want to talk about the song right then. She wanted to go upstairs and sleep and in the morning realize that everything is okay. "It's just a song Arthur, I sing a lot of those" she said, her voice more sarcastic and biting than she intended.

He frowned and she caught a glimpse of hurt in his eyes, "Cassandra, you know that song meant more. Are you planning on leaving?" he asked, bluntly.

Half of Cassie wanted to comfort him and tell him she loved him but the question threw her. "Oh just let me be." She snapped and pulled out of his grasp to run up the stairs the best she could in her skirts.

Arthur frowned after her, convinced something strange was going on with her. But for the life of him he couldn't figure out what it was.

**XXX**

Cassie couldn't sleep. She stared up at the pale canopy of her bed as moonlight shot through her windows. Once she had calmed down enough from before, she had realized that she had over reacted and she needed to talk to Arthur.

She kept telling herself it could wait till the morning but then she couldn't sleep. She knew her time with Arthur was limited and she hated spending even a minute of it mad at him.

Finally she lost her patience and flung back the covers to climb out of bed. The stone floor was cold beneath her feet and she hurried over to her wardrobe to grab her combat boots.

After pulling them on she grabbed a jacket of Arthur's she'd kidnapped and put it on over her nightgown. She crept out into the hallway and up towards Arthur's room.

She heard someone coming and jumped into a dark crevice in the castle wall. Arthur's room was four doors away and she was impatient to get there.

She stood waiting in the darkness and almost said something when she saw Linda, the young woman she'd met earlier that day, pass by. She was almost running, her silk shoes making no noise on the floor as she did.

Cassie puzzled after her for a second before remembering that she needed to find Arthur. She crept to his room and noticed the lack of guards outside his door. She rolled her eyes, he'd probably gotten snappy with them and dismissed them. And she was the one who'd made him snappy. She quirked her lips to the side in slight embarrassment before pushing open the door to Arthur's room.

She could see from the door that the bed was empty and unmade. A frown made its way to her lips and she closed the door again, quietly.

A bad feeling was curling into the pit of her stomach. It shouldn't bother her, he probably was a little worried himself and wanted to walk around the castle for a bit, maybe to get himself back to sleep.

She started down the hallway, determined to wander the castle until she found him. The feeling in her gut grew as she wandered an empty seeming castle. Usually there were guards stationed at important points around the castle. Tonight there wasn't another soul awake.

Finally in a fit of nerves and insecurity Cassie made her way up to Morgana's room. She pushed open the once again unguarded door and sighed in relief when she saw the other girls sleeping form.

"Morgana!" she hissed shaking her. The other girl groaned and rolled over, swatting Cassie's hands away. "Morgana!" Cassie repeated louder and Morgana finally woke up.

"What?" she asked groggily.

"Something's wrong. I can't find Arthur and there's no guards anywhere" Cassie explained, pulling back Morgana's blankets in an effort to get her out of bed quicker.

The other girl rolled her eyes but got out of bed, shivering at the coldness of the floor. She shot Cassie an unhappy look before going to get her shoes and a robe.

They walked out into the hallway, Morgana giving Cassie a slightly worried look when she saw the absence of guards in front of her room.

"Told you so" Cassie whispered. The other girl rolled her eyes and they started to wander through the castle.

They rounded a corner and bumped into someone. Morgana let out a short squeak, before Cassie clamped a hand over her mouth to shush her.

"Merlin?" Morgana asked the panting boy in front of them.

"Something's wrong, it has to do with Arthur" he blurted out "I have this awful feeling" he explained.

Morgana went ghostly pale and the other two looked at her, "I had a dream about something like this…" she said softly.

Cassie's stomach dropped, she'd had a dream too. And this it.

Without thinking she started hurrying down hallways, calling Arthur's name, not caring who she woke up or whether or not he could hear her.

Morgana joined her calls even though they both knew what would happen and that he wouldn't answer

Merlin headed down a side corridor meeting up with them again after a few minutes.

Suddenly the bells began to toll loudly and from somewhere nearby in the castle a woman screamed.


	24. Chapter 24: Panic, But Not

**A/N: **So sorry this took a while. Mid terms will be the death of me! hope you enjoy it! sorry it's a bit slow in the beginning.

**XXX**

The corridors were filled with people now. The bells had woken the guards from whatever they'd been doing for the last few hours and guests began to poke their heads out of their doors to determine the source of the danger.

Cassie, Morgana and Merlin wove between them in the direction the scream had come from. She knew it couldn't be good but she was praying it was something she'd be able to fix and that Arthur had been alright.

Finally they reached the kings meeting room. Several guards had already pulled open the doors and even a knight or two was making their way into the room.

Cassie pushed her way through the crowd to the front where she stared in shock at the scene in front of her.

On the floor lay a motionless Arthur sprawled with his arms and legs out, on top of the charred black outline of an upside down pentagram on the floor. The point of the star pointed the opposite direction of his head and seemed to writhe in the darkness. A few yards away from the Prince stood a terrified looking Linda, clearly the one who had screamed.

One of the knights began to move towards Arthur and Cassie cried out to stop him. "Stop!" she came forward and the knight gave her a nod of respect mixed with a confused look.

"Don't you see the pentagram?" she asked gesturing towards the black marks on the floor.

The knight gave her a strange look "Pentagram?" he asked.

It hit her that these people weren't familiar with magic, especially not more modern magic ideas. From what Merlin had explained, magic in this time consisted of mostly spells and a few potions that could be cooked up.

In her time, some people were under the impression that they could summon demons by drawing pentagrams on the ground and saying some magic words. Apparently they thought so in Camelot too.

The difference was that in her time, it didn't actually work, but Cassie had seen enough magic in her time in Camelot to be very suspicious of the pentagram Arthur lay on.

"The pentagram is used in dark magic to summon demons" she explained quickly and began to circle it, observing to the best of her ability all the markings along the inside of the pentagram. None of them made sense.

The assembled group gasped and nervous whispers began flying amongst them.

Cassie finally turned to Linda, who now stood against the wall with a lost look on her face. "What happened?" she asked the girl softly. Linda was a good four inches taller than her, but Cassie felt as if she was speaking to a terrified child.

The younger girl's blue eyes fixated on her and she relaxed slightly. Her mouth opened and she choked on the words before getting them out, "I-I came in a-and h-h-he was on the floor in the pentagram and s-someone ran out of the r-room" she said.

Her tone was stricken but her eyes told another story. They were terrified and uncertain, as if she knew more than she was telling but was afraid to tell it.

Cassie missed nothing, the dire situation sharpening her senses and bringing her entire focus on fixing this, whatever it was.

She didn't allow herself to think of Arthur, _her_ Arthur, lying on the floor of some demonic doorway, unconscious or dead or worse. She didn't allow herself to think about what the consequences of anything would be at the moment.

She only allowed herself to think about getting to the bottom of this so she could _fix_ it.

"What is going on here?" Uther's voice carried over the crowd and they parted for him to allow him to walk into the room.

As soon as he saw his son on the floor, he gasped and made to collect him off the ground. The knight in the room stopped him with surprising speed.

The king gave him an intimidating look and Cassie spoke up "You can't touch him your highness" she said.

Uther looked at her, "Why not?" he asked, his concern and restraint clear in his eyes.

"He's laying on a pentagram, a magic symbol used for raising demons" she explained quickly before squatting down as close to Arthur's head as she dared. He was pale but breathing. And that was enough for her for the moment.

Uther joined her on the floor "Do you believe he has been possessed by a demon?" he asked quietly, so as not to throw the guests into a panic.

Cassie shook her head "I don't know. I don't think so, more likely he was used as a sacrifice to summon the demon. Usually they want goat brains or something but I guess wanting a human soul isn't totally out of the question" she said.

She wasn't very knowledgeable about demon summoning but she had read a book or two where someone did it, she'd even seen a short film in Spanish about a man who used a pentagram to summon the devil. But she had always chalked it up to over-imaginative writers who wanted a dramatic scene with a pentagram and incense. Never had she actually believed someone would attempt to summon a demon.

"Can it be fixed?" Uther said, alarm coloring his tone.

Cassie shrugged "I don't know" she admitted, her terror and pain finally making an appearance in her voice.

"Gaius will look at him, maybe he will know something" Uther assured her. She nodded without really believing him. She had no idea if this even could be fixed.

**XXX**

No one would be getting anymore sleep that night, and Merlin knew he would feel it in the morning.

No one had wanted to risk moving Arthur so Gaius had set up shop in the meeting chamber. Most of the guests had been chased back to bed and the only people in the room were Uther, who was pacing continually in a corner, Morgana, Gaius, Merlin, Cassie and Linda. The few knights that were wandering in and out wanted to ask her about what had happened but she was still in shock and rather unhelpful.

Merlin, Morgana and Cassie were sprawled on the floor, a good distance from Arthur, looking through countless books and histories of old magic, trying to find anything about a Pentagram.

Uther had been miffed when he'd found out that Gaius still had the books but the old physician had explained that they were simply for research purposes, so when something magical in nature attacked Camelot or someone in it, he was able to look it up.

The King's concern for his son had overshadowed his stance on magic.

"This is it!" Cassie leaned up on her elbows, pointing a finger at the page she was on. The picture was of an upside down triangle, its points touching the inside edge of a large circle drawn around it. There were markings along the inside of the circle and around the center of the pentagram.

She got up and brought the book over to the table where Gaius was sitting, the other occupants of the room joined them, peering over shoulders curiously as they all stared at the book.

Gaius slowly began to read aloud "The pentagram is the magic symbol that creates a doorway between the world of men and a hell from which enter terrible creatures. Each opening requires a sacrifice" his eyes flitted to the motionless form of the Prince on the ground. "These summonings are very dangerous, and should not be attempted by any but the most practiced sorcerers." He finished.

The room was silent. Everyone was staring at either Gaius, Uther or Cassie.

"Do you know anyone who could have done this?" Cassie asked quietly, not letting the insanity taking place in her head show in her voice.

Gaius peered over the book at the floor to see the handiwork of someone who was obviously a very powerful warlock. He shook his head slowly, unable to think of any sorcerer he had known in his time who had any ideas about raising demons and pentagrams.

"Go check on the prisoner!" Merlin shot up from his seat as the idea hit him and left his mouth. Everyone turned to him, their expressions confused for a second before they realized what he was talking about.

Two of the assembled knights jumped up immediately and headed for the door. Now that everyone had thought of it they wondered why the dungeons hadn't been the first place everyone checked.

The ambiance in the room was one of extreme tension. Uther hadn't stopped pacing since he'd found his corner and the sound of his boots on the stone floor was the only sound in the silence.

Cassie shivered, even with Arthurs jacket, it was cold. She pulled the borrowed jacket tighter around her trying to comfort herself with the overly large garment that belonged to the boy on the floor.

She was worried and nervous and tired and her patience was nearly out.

When the Knights burst back through the doors she sighed in relief, then froze as she heard their first words "My lord the old man we arrested during the banquet this evening is missing" one of them said.

The entire room went cold and Uther finally came out of his corner to unleash his fury on the poor men.

Cassie tuned out, catching the gist of the conversation, that the guards in the dungeons were dead and that there was no sign of forced entry.

Suddenly she was exhausted and all she wanted to do was go back to bed and cry. But how could she leave while Arthur was consigned to lie on the hard stone floor?

The King snapped her out of her thoughts "Everyone go back to bed, we send out search parties in the morning to look for this sorcerer" he commanded in his most authoritative tone.

The group in the room slowly filed out, the mood amongst them tired and sad.

Merlin was worried though he refused to show just how much. He had seen the rest of the page on the magic of demon summoning and it was all dark, complicated and extremely dangerous.

He could tell Cassie was worried as well and didn't want to add anything to her already heavy burden. He knew how much it had to be hurting her to see all of this and hear about what could have happened to Arthur.

He was about to walk out of the room when someone tapped apprehensively on his arm. He turned to see a wide eyed Linda next to him. "Can I speak to you?" she asked softly, looking around nervously.

Merlin glanced up to make sure no one was watching them then nodded and led her out of the room and down a deserted corridor.

**XXX**

"The old man your guards captured tonight at the banquet is my uncle" Linda looked up at Merlin nervously as she admitted it.

His jaw dropped "What?" he asked.

Linda bit her lip quickly then let it go "I'm so sorry! I didn't bring him here to kill anyone! He raised me you see, after Uther killed my parents in the great purge, he was all I had and he hid me from the soldiers because he feared that they would kill me for simply having magic parents" she explained.

Merlin knew how she felt, he had felt the same way and he was sure his mother and Gaius would understand. But none of that explained why she had brought her uncle here to Camelot and let him kill Arthur.

His thoughts must have been obvious in his face because Linda hurried on with her story "As he has gotten older I've began to take care of him the way he did for me. He isn't stable and I can't leave him alone for long periods of time. I had to bring him to Camelot, otherwise he would have caused trouble and probably run off. I told him to stay in my chambers but he didn't during the banquet."

Her raised an eyebrow, still waiting for an explanation as to why this man had been allowed to nearly kill the prince and how.

She frowned at him but continued "He has been unstable these last few years, his memory is leaving him and he's been dabbling in some very dark and strange magic" she told him.

"Like the magic of summoning demons and sacrificing souls?" he guessed.

Linda nodded sheepishly "He thought Arthur was the king, twenty years ago, the last time my uncle saw Uther, the king looked more like Arthur than like the man he is now" she explained.

"Well can you find him?" he asked, "If we can find him we can maybe talk him into fixing this."

She bit her lip "Yes I can find him, but please can you and I and the Lady Cassandra go? I don't want the knights to hurt him." The concern in her eyes and voice reminded Merlin of how he felt about Gaius or Cassie. He knew they weren't all that they seemed to others but he cared about them enough that he kept their secrets for them. He could see in Linda, that same love and need to protect her uncle.

He nodded "Alright, I'll go tell the Princess to be ready to go at first light" he said and turned to leave. Then he realized something and turned back "Why did you choose me to tell all this to? Out of everyone, why me?" he asked.

Linda let a half smile slide onto her face "Well I thought it'd be obvious, you have magic too. I knew you'd understand."

**XXX**

"What!" Cassie exploded as soon as Merlin finished telling her everything Linda had told him, "She just brought her insane uncle to Camelot with no idea that he'd try to pull something! Bullshit!" she ranted, her words spilling out in her anger and annoyance.

Merlin sighed "Cassie, she can help us find him, and he can take back whatever he did to Arthur" he told her, attempting to calm the tiny girl in front of him who was now pacing the floor of her room and muttering to herself in Spanish.

She glared up at him "Why us then, huh? Even if she is telling the truth, and I highly doubt she is, why did she tell you about it?" she snapped.

He looked at his toes, avoiding answering the question that he knew would send her into a worse frenzy. At her impatient noise he finally looked up, "She said she told me because somehow she knows I have magic too" he admitted.

Cassie stared at him "You have got to be fucking kidding me." she flopped back into one of the chairs around the dining table in the middle of her room and closed her eyes, bringing her hands up to massage her temples. "I don't trust her Merlin. I'll go with you two tomorrow, fine, but only to keep an eye out for you" she agreed, then added as an afterthought "And we should bring Lancelot with us, just in case. It'd be nice to have more than one person who knows how to handle a sword."

He rolled his eyes and flopped into the chair next to her, "Well then, we leave at dawn" he said cheerfully.

"Fan-flipping-tastic" she muttered "No rest for the weary" she rolled her eyes.

**XXX**

They had already been riding for a few hours and Cassie was sore. She really hated riding horses and having to listen as Merlin and Linda chatted ahead of her was not helping her black mood or her sore rear end.

Lancelot rode dutifully next to her, doing a good job of looking out around the dense woods they rode in and trying not to laugh every time she cursed off her horse in either English, Spanish or a confusing mix of both.

"When did you discover you have magic?" Linda's question floated back towards Cassie who rolled her eyes. Lancelot caught the look and stifled a snort, earning himself a glare from her.

"I can't even remember, I've just been able to move things with my mind since before I could remember" Merlin answered, atone in his voice the other two had never heard before. Was Merlin… flirting?

"Wow" the redhead next to him exclaimed in admiration, "I didn't figure it out till I was seven or eight and my uncle tried to teach me some magic. I blew out all the windows by accident, but he was thrilled to know that I had inherited the ability from my parents" she told him.

At the mention of Linda's uncle Cassie tensed up again, glaring at the back of the other girls head. It was his fault they were even in this mess and Arthur was probably still unconscious on the stone floor.

She breathed in deeply and then let it back out, trying to calm her emotions as she listened to Merlin and Linda compare childhood magic stories.

Eventually they reached a creek and they stopped there to rest the horses. Cassie stretched widely, basking in the feeling of being able to stand on her own two feet again. She really disliked riding horses, not to mention she was terrible at it.

"We're not too far now" Linda told them, "We just follow the creek north and we'll find him" she smiled.

"How do you know where to find him?" Cassie asked, trying her best not to let her suspicion show in her voice but failing.

Linda's smile fell just a tiny bit "He told me to find this cave if I ever was in trouble. It's our safe place" she shrugged and Cassie almost felt bad for her.

Then she shook her head and walked over to the dreaded horse "Then lets get going" she commanded, swinging up onto it awkwardly and wincing.

After another half hour they came upon a cave and Linda jumped off her horse. "Let me go in first" she instructed "So as not to scare him" she disappeared into the mouth of the cave without another word.

"So we don't scare him, sure, more like so he can come out and kill us" Cassie grumbled.

Merlin made a face "I'll be ready if he come out to do anything bad" he assured her and the fake princess shot him a tight smile.

Finally they heard footsteps echoing from the cave and tensed, ready to fight whoever or whatever came out. Cassie's hand tensed on the hilt of her sword and Lancelot looked ready to leap off his horse.

"It's just us!" Linda called out to them before they saw her emerge from the darkness of the cave, the hunched old man from the banquet in tow.

He glared up at the three on horses "You come from Camelot?" he asked them.

"Puerto Rico actually" Cassie informed him, none too kindly. She realized his prejudice was against Camelot and its king, and since none of them were actually originally from Camelot, he might listen to them.

He raised an eyebrow at the other two "I'm from Ealdor, my mother still lives there" Merlin informed him brightly.

"I too, and from outside of Camelot" Lancelot put in before the old man turned back to Cassie, who was clearly the one to talk for the group.

"You summoned a demon in Camelot, using Prince Arthur as a sacrifice. Now you're going to go fix it" she said simply, her tone leaving no room for argument.

If the old man was taken aback by her brash antics, he hid it well. He raised a thin gray eyebrow at her "And why should I take it back?"

She dismounted her horse slowly and walked up to him, taking her time. She stopped when they were about nose to nose, his just a fraction higher than her despite his hunched back.

"You are going to fix it because I said so. Not because I'm a favorite of the King of Camelot. Not because I'm a Princess. Not because I'll kill you and your niece if you don't, but because the man who is laying across the door for your demon is the love of my life and hell if I won't do anything about it" she said to him, her tone clear and cold as she enunciated every word for effect.

This time he looked impressed, and possibly even a little scared. "Come with me" he said finally before turning back towards the cave and walking towards it, clearly meaning for them to follow.

The other three stared at the tiny girl with a mixture of awe and admiration as they followed the old man.

He led them into a small room in the cave, there was a fire burning in the center of it and a pallet in one corner. He indicated for them to sit around the fire before he sat himself.

"I summoned the demon Apoliom, a demon of destruction to Camelot" he told them, "The Prince was a sacrifice and the demon shall return his soul once it chooses another to inhabit."

"Then what can we do to get rid of him?" Lancelot asked, leaning forwards. This was his area of expertise; fighting and strategy.

"We have to catch it outside of a body and kill it" the man told him.

"How do we do that?" Linda asked.

"Well," he looked straight at Cassie "We must return to Camelot."

**XXX**

The King was not happy. His guests were in a panic, his servants were whispering about mass destruction and his son was still lying on a stone floor.

Uther had barely left the room where Arthur was confined since they'd found him there. He didn't want to leave his son even if the boy couldn't hear him or even tell he was there.

As the day had gone on he'd moved his seat closer and closer to the pentagram, an unknown and unstoppable force propelling him forwards.

Now as the sun went down in the West, he couldn't help but reach out towards his son. Just to feel his skin, to see if he was cold.

The king's fingers brushed Arthur's head lightly, the young man's skin like ice to the touch and he jerked his hand back. But not before he felt the strange weight slither up his finger and then up his arm and around his neck, forming a noose that slowly tightened and tightened until he felt it slide into him. And then he felt nothing.


	25. Chapter 25: Back In Action

**A/N: **OH MY GOD I AM TERRIBLE! You all must hate me! I'm so sorry! There is, however, a reason this took so long. I was in a nasty car accident and my friends car was totaled, she broke a finger and I got a concussion, the worst kind, a ten on the scale and all that jazz. And my boyfriend took the "make sure Holly doesn't think like a normal human being for the next month" thing kind of seriously. SO now that my concussion is more or less healed here's your update :)

**XXX**

Arthur cracked open his eyes, slowly and painfully, the light stabbing at his heavy eyes. He closed them for a few seconds then tried again, more slowly this time.

By the time he got his eyes all the way open, he had managed to maneuver himself into a sitting position. His muscles screamed in protest, sore and stiff from whatever surface he'd been laying on.

He was in his father's main meeting chambers though he had no recollection of going there. The last thing he remembered was waking up in the middle of the night with every intention of going to find Cassie and then nothing.

The room was empty but a mess. Tables and chairs were strew in random patterns as if someone had called an impromptu meeting that set everyone into a panic.

A frown worked its way onto his face and he pushed himself off the floor. His muscles were sore and a groan escaped his mouth. As he stood he noticed the markings on the floor where he'd lain. Scorched into the stone as if by a very strong fire, was a star, its points just touching the edges of a circle.

His frown grew deeper. Something was off here and he needed to find out what it was. Ignoring the pain in his muscles he made his way to the door to push it open. A guard who stood in the hallway jumped when he saw him, the man dropped into a bow before running off down the hall.

"What?" he muttered and started walking after the guard. Something strange was going on and he was determined to find out what it was.

He rounded the corner and ran smack into Sir Leon. "Good, someone who can actually tell me whats going on here" Arthur smiled slightly at his old friend.

But the look on the knight's face was one of horror and confusion, "You… you're awake..." ha stuttered out.

The prince rolled his eyes "Obviously, now can you tell me what's been going on and why I woke up on a floor?" he asked.

Leon looked like he was considering something very hard, his eyebrows knit together and his forehead wrinkled and then he turned and ran.

This time Arthur gave chase, he took off sprinting after Leon. But the taller man had the advantage of longer legs and Arthur couldn't quite catch up to him.

They went up stairs and down long corridors, a pattern that was familiar to Arthur. Finally Leon threw his right shoulder into a set of doors and ran into a room, the Prince right behind him.

"Your highness, Prince Arthur…" Leon gasped out then trailed off as his message made itself obvious.

King Uther stood from his chair slowly, looking over the two men. For the most part the king looked completely normal. His hair was still the light gray it had faded to from the blonde of his younger years and his face was still the stern, regal face of a king, but his eyes, the ones that had once been blue and told all his emotions seemed glazed over, as if he was either very drunk or very tired. The color too had faded from the bright blue they had been to a sort of tired gray.

"Arthur?" he asked, his tone cold.

"Father, please tell me what is going on here? Everyone I've seen has gone running at the sight of me and I woke up on a floor" his son answered, a tiny bit of his annoyance creeping into his voice.

The king raised his eyebrows "You know very well why you woke up on a floor. You are not my son" he glared at the Prince, his faded, glazed eyes narrowed in mistrust and anger.

"What?" Arthur was now confused, annoyed and very sore. He was not in the mood to put up with false accusations.

A pair of guards stepped in through the still open doors and approached the now very unhappy prince.

"Father, what is going on? If this is some kind of joke, I don't find it funny!" he snapped, half desperate.

The king shook his head and turned away from his son. The guards each took one of Arthur's arms and began to drag him out of the room. He struggled and squirmed, shouting at his father to let him go, that this was a mistake but the guards still pulled at him, the two of them able to overcome the weakened prince.

"Leon, you know me! Tell them to let me go, I'm your prince, your friend!" he shouted.

Leon's face took up that thinking expression again, his forehead creasing and his eyebrows knitting together in pity, uncertainty and sadness.

"Sir Leon, help the guards take this thing to the dungeons. I don't want it inhabiting anyone else" Uther snapped, his face still turned towards the window.

"Yes your highness" the knight set his expression and joined the guards who dragged away the prince.

Uther smiled out the window, the demon inside him thrilled that his plan was working. Thrilled that soon Camelot would be a chaos of destruction, that it would soon be his.

**XXX**

"My feet fricking _hurt_" Cassie muttered as they trekked back through the woods towards Camelot. The brush underfoot was thick and messy and the horses weren't sure enough of their footing to carry a rider.

So they were walking. And had been for the last hour. Merlin had continued his talk with Linda and her uncle, they discussed magic and spells and the horrors of the great purge and Cassie didn't know whether to be bored or sick.

"Are you alright my lady?" Lancelot asked in his polite quiet tone.

Cassie smiled at him "Yeah, I'm fine" she shrugged and continued pulling on the reigns of her horse. The mare had decided it was snack time and was intent on eating all the leaves off the little bush in front of it.

Lancelot cracked a smile "Here" he took the reins out of her hands and gave them a firm pull. The horses head snapped up and another pull and it began to trot behind them.

She groaned and rolled her eyes "Why do I suck with horses?" she asked no one in particular, though she earned a strange look from the knight she was with.

"Look!" Merlin called out from ahead of them. everyone in their little party turned to him and their eyes followed to where he was pointing. Through a break in the trees, Camelot was visible.

"We're a few hours walk away, leave the horses here and come on" Linda's uncle took charge.

"Finally" Cassie muttered under her breath even though her nerves spiked at the view of the castle. Arthur was in there, possibly possessed and definitely in trouble, and she had to fix it.

**XXX**

"Are you sure your highness?" the kings advisor asked, his brow furrowed in uncertainty and confusion. The king had imposed several new taxes and laws in the past three hours alone and everyone in court was starting to worry.

The taxes were far more than the people could pay and the laws were simply ridiculous. Everyone in the room was more than a little suspicious over the king's sudden change.

He had always been such a fair ruler, good to his people and good to his court. His only insanity had been about magic, but all his advisors had been present for his wife's death and understood that Uther's war on all things magical was extremely personal.

But this, this was new and very strange.

"Yes, I am sure" the king snapped in answer to the advisors uncertainty. He wore his full crown, which in itself was unusual as he usually found it too heavy and annoying.

"Sire" Gaius put in tentatively as all the other advisors did their best to keep their faces clear and stare at the table in front of them.

The King turned his gray lifeless eyes to the old physician "Yes?" he inquired, his voice as cold as his eyes.

"I think we've all noticed you've been acting a bit strange today. And I am concerned as a friend that it is the stress over your son" he said, giving voice to the thought that was going through the rest of the room's heads. The thought that no one else had dared voice.

And the King gave them good reason. "Gaius, go and pack your things. Be gone by sundown, you are banished from Camelot and return on pain of death" he snapped.

The rest of the room was shocked, jaws dropped and people's heads snapped up from their staring contest with the table. Gaius was Uther's most trusted advisor and had been with the King the longest.

Gaius himself looked shocked as well, staring at the King for a long second before turning wordlessly and walking out of the room.

He could only hope Merlin was having better luck.

**XXX**

"This can't be right" Merlin exclaimed as he read over the announcements of the new laws and taxes imposed on the people.

"What's it say?" Cassie asked, leaning up on her tip-toes to look over his shoulder at the fancily scripted list of new laws.

"Uther's imposing all these ridiculous taxes. It's so unlike him" he said, continuing to frown down at the paper.

"Could it be…?" Lancelot asked, trailing off, not wanting to accuse his king out loud.

Linda looked to her uncle who nodded gravely, "The demon I summoned is very greedy. He will use his greed to create unrest and destruction" he explained and Cassie got the urge to punch him in the gut.

She took a deep breath, he was their only shot at getting rid of this demon thing and for now she had no choice but to trust him.

They were standing in a main part of town and already receiving strange looks from the people milling about near them.

"Your highness!" a middle aged man bowed to Cassie. She smiled back at him tightly and he straightened up "You are in the kings favor and the people are upset with the taxes and laws he has imposed. It is unlike him and we suspect it is because of his son-" he started but Cassie cut him off

"Wait, his son? What do you mean?" she asked, her panic rising in her chest.

The man gave her a sympathetic look before explaining "The Prince has been possessed by a terrible monster and is locked up in the dungeons. We fear that the King is upset over this and imposed the laws in a fit of anger."

Cassie sucked in a quick breath. How could this have happened? If Arthur was truly possessed what was Uther doing? And if he wasn't, then what was going to happen to him?

The man, oblivious to her inner musings, continued "If you can sway him in any way, make him see the peoples point of view or revoke the laws we would be eternally grateful" he said, giving her a timid smile.

She forced a smile of her own "I will try my best" she told him.

The man's face broke into a huge smile and the mood in the street seemed to ease, making Cassie realize that everyone had been watching and listening in anticipation. "Thank you so much my lady" the man dropped into another bow before moving on to tell people about her promise.

She looked back at the rest of the group, "Okay then" she said.

"I'm sure once we figure all this out it will be easy to ask the King to revoke the laws" Lancelot said encouragingly.

"We have to get going. The sooner we work this demon out, the better" Linda's uncle snapped and turned towards the castle.

Merlin shrugged at Cassie before turning to follow them.

She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. So now she had to rescue her boyfriend, kill a demon and save a kingdom. No pressure or anything.

**XXX**

The chain pulled tight at the bolt in the wall with a groaning sound as its prisoner pulled at it to no avail. It was stuck in the wall good and tight.

Arthur groaned. He was annoyed, he was hungry, he was worried and worst of all he was bored. The dungeons were cold and dank but that wasn't what was bothering him.

The thought that was nagging at his conscience was why Cassie hadn't come to help him yet. Normally she'd be in the middle of something like this, her and Merlin cooking up some kind of crazy plan to get him out of this.

Maybe she believed he was possessed or something like the rest of them. Maybe she didn't want to come see him because she was afraid of him.

He quickly shook that thought away telling himself that Cassie wasn't a coward, she was the kind of woman who would want to see it for herself before writing him off.

He heard a rustling from the hallway outside his cell and immediately strained at his chain again, stretching as far across the cell as he could in an attempt to peek out the door to see who it was.

The sound grew louder and sounded like footsteps, thick soled boots, the sound growing louder as it came nearer.

Arthur almost dared to smile, he knew only one person who wore boots like that, and she was the only person he wanted to see right then.

The footsteps stopped outside the door and Arthur looked up, letting the smile pull his mouth up at the corners.

"Did you miss me?" the grinning girl at the door asked.

**XXX**

Merlin and Linda crept along a hallway towards the King's meeting hall. They'd situated Linda's uncle in her room, hidden with a few spells to jam the door.

They needed to get an eye and an ear on the inside to observe Uther to see if he was truly possessed or if Arthur was. Linda and her Uncle had told Cassie not to go see him just in case he was but Merlin knew her better than that and knew she would go anyway.

He kept quiet and only hoped she was smart about it. Then again it was Cassie, she was always smart.

He continued creeping along the hall behind Linda, his ears alerted to any and all noises. They were technically allowed to be in the castle but with the stress level high, everyone was suspicious of everyone else.

It was exactly what the demon would want. Unrest, suspicion, and it would ultimately lead to destruction.

They were about to round a corner when Merlin heard someone coming down the corridor. He quickly grabbed Linda's arm and yanked her back towards him, he looked around for a side hall or some kind of nook in the wall where they could hide but saw nothing and the footsteps were coming closer. The castle was flooded with light through the windows and there were no shadows to hide in.

The footsteps were drawing closer so he did the first thing that popped into his head, he tightened his hold on Linda's wrist, yanked her into him and kissed her.

She made a surprised squeak before freezing for the longest second ever then slowly, shyly returned the kiss. The footsteps came around the corner they had been about to turn down and stopped abruptly.

Someone coughed uncomfortably, and the two broke apart, Merlin shooting her an apologetic look which she either didn't see or ignored.

In front of them was one of the king's advisors accompanied by a knight. And the two were looking at them with a mixture of suspicion and embarrassment.

Merlin cleared his throat "Uh, sorry, we uh, thought it was an out of the way corridor" he said sheepishly.

The knight recognized him from training and smirked at him while the advisor reddened and huffed off in the opposite direction. The knight gave him a last wink before taking off after the advisor.

"Sorry about that" Merlin started, turning to Linda who had been quiet this time, probably with embarrassment.

She shook her head, her red curls bouncing slightly as she did so "It's quite alright, let's just find someone who can help your prince" she said.

He nodded and turned back down the hallway, an idea striking him. "Come on let's go this way" he said turning them around to go the opposite direction.

"What? The kings meeting chamber is that way!" Linda insisted, following him reluctantly.

Merlin sent a sly grin back at her, "I have something better" he said and led the way up to Gaius's chambers.

The old man answered the door and gasped in surprise "Come in, come in" he ushered the two though his door, poking his head out to look in both directions to make sure no one saw them before shutting it.

"What's going on?" he asked, sitting down at the table with Linda as Merlin stayed standing, on the verge of pacing.

They explained what Linda's uncle, Michael, had told them. Linda herself stayed mostly quiet, biting at her cuticles, her eyes darting between the old man and the young one. Merlin began to pace and Gaius fingered the worn cover of one of the books on demonology that were strewn across the table.

"It makes sense" he admitted, "Uther has been making laws and imposing taxes that have everyone worried. The people can't pay them! And saying no one can wear white on Fridays is simply ridiculous" the old man ranted.

As comical as the moment was, they were far too serious to laugh. If something wasn't done soon, Camelot would be in chaos.

**XXX**

"Cassie!" Arthur said, surprise making him smile like an idiot.

"The one and only" she smiled and opened the door, stopping just inside, just out of his reach. "What's going on here?" she asked.

Arthur shrugged and sat back dropping his head into his hands "That's just it, I have no idea!" he said pushing his blonde hair out of his face.

"Well you could start by telling me why you're chained to a wall" she suggested dryly. She didn't want to be mean to Arthur, in all honesty she wanted to run to him and kiss him and hold him and singlehandedly yank the chain off his foot to get him out of that hell hole. But she knew she needed to be careful. He could be possessed and one wrong move and she'd be next.

He launched into the story and Cassie felt her heart contract as his confusion and panic. "And you won't even come near me, what's wrong with me? What have I done?" he asked, his face contorted in confusion and pain.

That was the last straw for her, "Fuck it" she muttered and crossed the room to him quickly, squatting down so she was level with him and taking his face in her hands and looking him right in the eyes. Eyes that were the same color blue as the sky over the ocean, the same color they'd always been. "There is nothing wrong with you and you haven't done anything, understand me?" she said fiercely.

His eyes darted to her lips before he answered her "Yes."

And then she kissed him, it was a full of the worry, panic, longing, anger and love that they'd both gone through in the past few days. Her hands tangled in his hair as his wrapped around her waist to pull her flush against him, his lips moving against hers with an unforgiving force.

"Come on, lets get you out of here" she said pulling away and picking up the key ring she'd dropped.

As much as Arthur wanted to get out of the disgusting cell he was in, he shook his head. "If we break me out, we're breaking laws. Fix whatever's going on here and then get me out of here" he told her.

She glared at him, her hazel eyes narrowing until she looked truly terrifying, despite her size "I hate it when you're right" she said before kissing him again quickly and hurrying back out of the dungeons, leaving Arthur much as before.

Except that now he was smiling, he was still bored and still worried and still annoyed. But he was also hopeful. He knew that someone would fix this and that they were working on it.

He leaned back against the wall and sighed, closing his eyes to finally get some much needed sleep.

**XXX**

"Okay, here's the plan" Cassie announced walking into Gaius's chambers and catching everyone in the room by surprise, "We're gonna pull like a snatch and grab. We kidnap Uther, claim he has a nasty headache, which he probably should seeing as he's possessed, then we perform the exorcism or whatever it is, kill the demon and have him fix everything" she said quickly all on one breath.

The rest of the room looked at her, eyebrows raised. After a moment Gaius nodded "It could work" he agreed.

The princess flashed a grin and flopped down on one of the benches as they began to plan a kidnapping that was about as steady as a grenade with the pin out.

**XXX**

Uther stood at the window in his chamber looking out over the courtyard. Two of the Knights were fighting a group of about seven or eight men from the lower town.

The men had attacked the knights insisting an audience with the king to tell him the laws and taxes were unfair. The king had instructed the knights to keep all the townspeople out of the castle, insisting he would see no one.

And the men had gotten angry and a fight had broken out.

He smiled, the demon inside him thrilled at the violence and thrilled at the potential to lead to destruction. He wanted to see Camelot burn, he wanted to see the mass civil war this would start. Then he wanted to watch as surrounding kingdoms take advantage of Camelot's weakness and send in their armies to take over. And then he wanted to watch as Uther wallowed in the misery he would feel from the death of his son and the loss of the kingdom he had fought so hard to build.

The demon wasn't simply out for destruction. He was out for revenge. Revenge for Uther's persecution of any and all things magic. He was out for revenge for the man who had employed the demon killers and sent his kind into hell before turning on the magic users and killing them all too.

And the destruction of Camelot was the perfect way for him to do just that.

A short chuckle escaped his lips as one of the knights flipped one of the men over his shoulder, the man landing neck first on the ground with a sickening crack and laid there unmoving.

The fight stopped and everyone gathered around to see the dead man. "Let it begin" the king murmured with a smile before letting the curtain drop closed.


	26. Chapter 26: Truth Be Told I'm A Liar

**A/N: **I suck, epically. I am aware. Life happened and writers block and I just never updated. But I'm going to finish this story, I already have the end planned out and it's only a few more chapters. Yeah the end of this was sad but I wanted to leave you with a cliffhanger and the whole "oh hey, Merlin has magic" thing went faster than I thought it would.

**XXX**

Cassie took a deep breath, standing in her secret position across the hall from Lancelot, ready to jump out as soon as the opportunity presented itself.

They heard footsteps and knew it was time. Uther's voice floated down the hall ahead of him, he was muttering to himself something about laws and chaos and they knew he was alone.

As he reached the end of the corridor Lancelot nodded and he coughed loudly, stepping out from his hiding spot, Uther turned to him and missed the small girl behind him who stepped out from her hiding place and bashed him over the head with a heavy clay jug.

The king crumpled to the ground quickly and Lancelot looked at her over his body, an eyebrow raised. The princess smirked and shrugged one shoulder before leaning down to pick up the unconscious and possessed King of Camelot.

"He's a lot heavier than I thought he'd be" Lancelot groaned as he helped her lift Uther up onto their shoulders and drag him down the corridor.

"And you're supposed to be a knight of Camelot?" she teased with a grunt as they maneuvered themselves up the stairs. It didn't help things that Gaius's rooms were on the opposite end of the castle from the Kings chambers near where they caught him.

They finally pushed open the door and Cassie nearly dropped the King. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"This man came and got me out" a slightly nervous Arthur answered "He said they needed me for this" he looked to Michael warily.

Cassie didn't trust the old man, not one bit. But she was thrilled to have Arthur back. She leaned Uther onto a table and ran to hug her prince. He was sitting on one of the benches by Gaius's work table and she scrambled onto his lap, twining her arms around his neck and burying her face in his chest.

He held her close to him placing kisses in her hair as one hand rubbed up and down her back. It was a rare moment of weakness for her and it made him realize just how dire the situation was. "What do we have to do?" he asked, looking up at Merlin, Gaius, Michael and Lancelot.

"We must find a way to pull the spirit of the demon out of your father and send it back to where it came from" Gaius explained, casting a wary look at Michael, who was just staring at the prince.

"And how exactly are we going to do that?" Arthur asked, giving the old man a look of his own.

With a small, clever smile Michael stepped forward "In exchange for a promise from you, I can return the demon to where it came from" he said

"What's this promise?" he asked, his suspicion rising.

The old man shrugged in a way that reminded him eerily of Cassie "You must promise me that once you are king, magic will be allowed in Albion" he said.

Arthur nearly dropped the girl on his lap, "What?" he asked. Even Cassie looked up at that one a mixture of intrigue, horror and hope on her face.

"You must promise or I shall not help" Michael insisted. The prince stared at him trying to come up with an answer, a way around it. Banning magic in Camelot had been something his father had worked towards for a very long time. It was something important to him and he didn't know if he could just go against that so easily.

"Just say yes already!" Merlin finally spoke up from his spot across the room. Everyone turned to him in shock including the redhead next to him.

Not letting everyone's surprise deter him, he stood up "Haven't you ever wondered if everything wrong that magic or its users have done to you is because your father banned it?" he asked, "Magic can do so many wonderful things like put this demon back where he came from or save people from sickness. If you allowed magic, maybe you'd be able to fight off all the bad magic with good magic of your own."

Arthur looked down at Cassie who had her eyebrows raised in an appreciative expression. He tightened his arms round her gently to get her attention and she looked up at him with questioning eyes. "When I am king, you will be queen. What do you say?" he asked.

Her jaw dropped and she stared at him in awe for a second, then the slightest flash of pain entered her expression before she answered and it was gone "I say that I agree with Merlin. It's long past time for a change."

Her voice was a little shaky and Arthur wondered whether it was from his impromptu proposal or whatever he'd seen in her eyes the second before she answered him.

But there was no time to dwell on it now as Michael and Gaius began preparing the spell. They drew another star inside a circle in some kind of black markings in a cleared space in the middle of the floor. The lines smoked slightly and Arthur pulled Cassie closer to him again.

Michael murmured a spell and the pentagram began to glow a faint gold. Merlin and Linda leaned forward and Cassie tried to as well, the magic drawing her interest. Arthur hooked his arm around her waist and pulled her back, his aversion to magic prompting him to keep her as far away from it as possible.

She shot him a look and he loosened his grip. He almost hated how much control she had between them but that's just how she was, domineering and independent. And he loved her for it.

"Help me move him" Michael instructed Lancelot who had been standing awkwardly by the door. The dark haired knight jumped into action and together he and Michael managed to haul Uther onto the floor in the center of the pentagram.

Lancelot backed up quickly and Michael started chanting. They were strange words, ones Cassie had never heard Merlin use, but then of course she hadn't actually seen him do all that much magic and there had to be thousands of spells in the world.

Michael's eyes began to glow the gold color she was used to seeing and the pentagram began to smoke. Uther's body began to shudder on the floor and this time it was Cassie who had to hold Arthur back.

He looked down at her, his blue eyes filled with concern and her hazel ones full of reassurance "It's okay, he knows what he's doing" she whispered. He nodded and let one corner of his mouth tweak up a little.

Michael began to shudder as well, his body sagging against the table as he chanted, the light of the pentagram flickering.

"He needs help" Cassie realized aloud.

"What are we supposed to do?" Arthur muttered. She elbowed him gently as Linda got up and began chanting with her uncle.

"She's magic too?" the prince whispered, slightly exasperated through his worry. Cassie elbowed him again.

Linda continued to chant but everyone in the room noticed how badly she shook. Her magic wasn't strong enough and a transparent gray-ish shadow was working its way out of Uther's body.

"They need more help" Gaius murmured but Cassie knew he wouldn't step forwards. If after all those years of being Uther's loyal friend and confidant, he came forward as a practicer of magic, it would be the ultimate betrayal.

But then Merlin stood up and joined them. He listened closely to their chant for a moment and then joined them, his eyes glowing gold almost immediately.

She felt Arthur's jaw drop against her shoulder and winced slightly. Oh they were going to have some explaining to do. She placed a hand on his chest to hold him back and he looked at her in bewilderment "Patience" she mouthed, nodding her head towards the ugly gray form that was now almost entirely extracted from the king's body.

The last tendril of grayish transparent matter was pulled free from the king with a popping sound that made everyone in the room flinch.

Michael was nearly sagging but he began a new chant with the same intensity. It was really just one spell chanted over again and as soon as Merlin and Linda had it down, they added their voices and their magic.

The gray shape began to writhe in painful looking positions. Cassie could just barely make out a face on it and the face was twisted in horror. It became more and more transparent. "Move him!" Michael stopped chanting his spell long enough to gasp out. Then he passed out. Linda squeaked and dropped to her uncle's side, stopping her chant as well.

Merlin carried on the entire spell as Lancelot and Arthur reached over to tug Uther by his feet off the pentagram, both being careful not to let their hands go over the edge of the circle.

At the center of the star a black hole in the floor was forming as if it hadn't been so intense in the room Cassie would have rolled her eyes at the cliché of it.

The gray shape began filtering down into the hole and Merlin began to sag slightly against the table. His magic was strong but like all things, there was only so much of it.

Cassie finally moved from her spot behind Gaius's work bench and went to help him stay up. She began to say the words with him quietly, even though it would do nothing.

She just wanted to hold him up and help him, but the look in Arthur's eye told her that her joining him was like pledging allegiance.

She was tempted to roll her eyes again as the last of the gray shape filtered into the floor and the hold closed up slowly, the edges of the pentagram still smoking.

Merlin slouched against her and Lancelot moved to help get him off her, though the kid was so scrawny she didn't really need it.

Arthur just sat there for a minute, looking at everyone in the room. Michael was still passed out on the floor and as far as the prince was concerned he could stay there, Linda was still leaning over him, but she looked tired as well and would probably be unconscious in a few minutes. Gaius was leaning Merlin down on the cot in the corner and Cassie was looking at him with a strange expression on her face. Lancelot was standing by her awkwardly and Arthur stood, keeping his eyes on the only one who hadn't betrayed him in one way or another.

"Lancelot, come help me get my father up to his chambers. We will tell the guards that my father realized his lapse in judgment and came to get me then fainted" he said, leaning down to pick up his father's limp body.

The dark haired knight jumped into action and helped him lift the king from the floor. They left and Cassie frowned after them. Shit had hit the fan. Well the proverbial fan, seeing as there were no fans in Camelot.

**XXX**

Arthur stood glaring out his father window as the king rested after the whole exorcism process. He was angry but not quite sure who or what he was angry at.

It seemed that everyone had known about Merlin's magic but him. Gaius hardly batted an eyelash when his young protégé stepped up and started chanting along with the old crone. Lancelot had just stood there, staring like he almost expected it.

And then there was Cassie, his dearest Cassie who simply put her hand on his arm and held him in place. She knew and she hadn't told him.

Worst of all was Merlin, Cassie was excusable for trying to keep his secret, but only just. There was no getting around it, Merlin had straight up lied to him.

He wondered how long everyone had known about Merlin's magic. Gaius had probably known for a long time. It was difficult to live with someone and not know everything about them. And Merlin had undoubtedly known for a very long time.

He would never admit it but Arthur was a little upset that Merlin hadn't trusted him enough to tell him about his magic. And it made the Prince wonder what he would have done about it if Merlin had.

The door clicked open behind him and he turned to see Cassie poking her head around the door to make sure she wasn't interrupting any private conversations.

Her eyes landed on him and she gave him a tentative smile. He ignored her and turned back to the window to watch the scribes and squires inform the people of Camelot that the taxes and laws the King had enacted while ill had been repealed and that he was healing quickly and the Prince would be taking over for the time being.

He didn't hear her approach –she must have not been wearing her usual boots- but he felt her arms wrap around his waist from behind and felt her stretch up on her tip-toes to place her chin on his shoulder.

As always her touch relaxed him and it suddenly hit him full force how much he had come to depend on her.

He turned in her grip and held her to him. She turned her face into his chest and just stood there, letting him hold her the way she knew he needed to.

It was funny, a few months ago, back in her own world and time, Cassie had never understood just how important one human being could be to a person's daily functions. Now, in a faraway place and time with no guarantee she would stay, she had found that one other human being who she simply needed and who needed her just as much.

"Let me talk to you" she whispered tugging gently on his arm. He nodded and with one last quick look as his still sleeping father, he followed her from the room.

Outside she took his hand and led him up to her chambers. Once inside them with the door shut, she pushed him up against it was a force disproportionate to her small size, and kissed him hard.

Unsure how to react, Arthur hesitated a moment before pulling her closer and kissing her back.

Cassie pulled away and stepped back, walking slowly over to the table in the center of the room, running her fingers along its smooth surface. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions" she started, her voice quiet, calm and detached, "But first I'd like to say that I am sorry for keeping things from you."

He didn't miss that she said things as in plural, but reigned in his curiosity for the time being. "How long did you know?" he asked.

"Since I came here" she answered quietly, not looking at him.

"And why has no one told me?" he asked, stepping further into the room and therefore closer to her.

Now she looked at him "Do you even need to ask that?" she raised her eyebrows "Your own father is the man who ordered the killing of thousands of people because of their magic. It has plagued your kingdom since and no one knew how you would react. If you had told anyone, Merlin would be dead. And that boy couldn't hurt a fly except to protect you" she ranted.

Arthur was taken aback by her bold and angry outburst. He had no idea that she cared that much about Merlin, and though he knew it was simply as friends, it annoyed him. "So you two were conspirators in his secret and no doubt countless others" he snapped back.

Cassie, who had been turned to the window, whipped around again, her anger flashing across her face before she calmed herself. "Yes, I have other secrets Arthur, and yes he knows some of them. But don't you see? We're both different, he has his magic and I don't belong. He understands that part of me and I understand that part of him. And since when was this conversation about my friendship with Merlin?" she asked, hands on her hips.

He had the grace to look embarrassed. So he changed the subject "How often does Merlin use his magic?"

She composed herself as well, "Whenever you need saving, whenever any of us needs saving actually. And sometimes to do some of his chores. You give him an awful lot to do" she said.

Though he was touched that Merlin used his powers to protect him, he chose to show his slight annoyance at the fact that Merlin didn't do all his chores to cover up his happy emotions. "Well I'll be giving him more now that I know he doesn't do them all" he grumbled.

And of course Cassie saw right through his tough guy act and laughed. And that simple sound made Arthur feel all the better.

"I'm sorry" he said to her, frowning as he walked up to her.

She shook her head with a soft smile "There's nothing to apologize for. You simply didn't know" she said, leaning up and pecking him quickly on the lips before dancing out of his reach before he could grab her and hold her there.

He made a face and she laughed again. Then her expression turned serious. "No one must know. Not a soul, you hear me? This is a life or death secret and you cannot tell ANYONE" she emphasized.

Arthur nodded, his expression telling her that he understood the gravity of the situation and the direness of the consequences.

She smiled again and flounced over to the bed to flop down in a way that no princess would ever be caught doing.

A knock came on the door and since Cassie was on the other end of the room, Arthur moved to answer it. He pulled open the heavy wooden door and on the other side stood the subject of their conversation himself.

Merlin's nervous expression became one of total panic and he turned to bolt, but the Prince was faster. He reached out and grabbed the scrawnier boy by the shirt collar and pulled him into the room.

The dark haired boy gulped and looked up at him.

"Be nice" Cassie called from her spot on the bed where she was still laying, her guitar over her stomach, strumming soft chords at random.

Arthur let a smile creep onto his face at her words and Merlin visibly relaxed. "So you aren't going to turn me over to your father to be killed?" he asked.

"I didn't say that" Arthur teased but his friend knew he didn't mean it and his face broke out into a wide smile.

"I knew you wouldn't turn on me!" he stated, full of confidence and excitement. Cassie snorted from her spot on the bed but he ignored her, throwing his arms around the Prince in a surprisingly tight hug for someone with such small arm muscles. Maybe the kid didn't need more chores after all.

"Just promise one thing" Arthur said sternly when he was released. The dark haired boy's head bobbed up and down in automatic agreement. "You will never use your magic against Camelot, no matter what" he insisted, still totally serious.

Merlin's smile faded and his expression became serious "I swear it. I'll always be loyal to you, promise."

"Awww" Cassie's coo ruined the moment and both men laughed.

**XXX**

That night the sky was beautiful, sunset had dyed the horizon a million shades of orange, yellow, red and pink mixed with fleeting hints of blue and purple. It was breathtaking and Cassie wished she had her camera on her as she watched from the highest balcony she could find.

"Pretty, no?" said a familiar voice from next to her. She turned to see Alex leaning against the stone railing as well, taking in the beautiful sight.

She simply nodded, knowing he was there to talk about more than the sunset. She waited patiently, watching until the last sliver of the sun's disk dipped below the horizon and the world set on fire for just a brief instant.

Then he spoke again, "Your time's up _hermanita_" he told her. She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She had expected this. The event her dream had been warning her about had come to pass and she had helped save Camelot, even though Merlin had carried most of the weight. But even though it was expected, the idea of leaving made a lump form in her throat and her eyes prickle with tears.

"You go back at first light. Be ready or you'll end up back in the twenty first century without your eyeliner" Alex teased, coaxing a sad smile out of her. "It's where you belong, you know" he said quietly after a few long moments of silence while the remaining light of the day bled back into the earth.

"I know" she managed, her voice coming out a little strangled, "But it doesn't mean I don't belong here at all" she said and turned away from the dying day and into her last night.


	27. Chapter 27: Loose Ends

**A/N: **Okay, all of you were so concerned about the ending, bear with me here, when I write a story without a happy ending, I'll let you know, kay? This is the second to last chapter, meaning the next one is the end. I might include a short epilogue at the end but that's debatable.

**XXX**

Cassie woke about an hour before dawn and slipped out of the bed silently, pressing a kiss to her Prince's forehead before tip-toeing to the door. She stopped as soon as she'd heaved the heavy oak open and looked back at him.

Arthur looked so peaceful and carefree in his sleep, his blonde hair an ethereal halo in the moonlight coming in through the window.

She let out a soft sigh, placing the letter she'd written on the table and slipped out the door, closing it behind her.

She crept through the castle, unnoticed by anyone back to her room to get her things together. She wasn't sure how she knew what to do, but she did. She would go into the woods, find the half moon pool and wait until she would be taken home.

The castle grounds appeared deserted as she moved swiftly and quietly through the night, away from the castle that had been her home for the last few months and into the woods towards her true home. Her mom and dad and Ryan and his family and her band. And the life she'd built up for herself there as this one tumbled down like a sandcastle caught in a wave.

A few minutes into the semi-darkness of the woods, she stumbled upon a pool shaped like a half moon with a smattering of sand along the bank, almost like it belonged near the ocean.

She sat down on the sand, her guitar in hand and began to strum softly while thinking back on her last night.

From the minute Alex had told her she would return home that night, she went straight back to her chambers and began writing. She wrote a letter for Merlin and a letter for Arthur. Little notes of thanks and her love would go to Morgana, Gwen and Lancelot

When she finished them, she took them to Gaius, all except the one to Arthur. She asked him to deliver them and he agreed. He understood that she had to go home, and while he would miss her, they said their goodbyes without a fuss.

Then she ran as fast as her feet would carry her down to Arthur's rooms, desperate to spend every second she could of her last night with the man she loved.

She burst through his door and he looked up from what he was writing, an expectant smile on his face once he realized who it was, "What is it?" he asked.

She didn't answer, just closed the door and went to him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders from behind and leaning over to see what he was working on. It was a map of Avalon and he was notating who ruled where and adding dotted lines to their boarders.

"It isn't very interesting" he commented, turning his head towards her, "But I found this old map from the times of old when Avalon was entirely united. I wanted to re-write it" he said.

"You shouldn't. Leave it, one day you'll rule it all" she said, a smile in her voice.

"And you with me" he added, bringing his hands up to untangle her arms from his neck and pull her into his lap.

Sorrow shot through her, hot and deep at his words and she pulled him to her and kissed him hard because it was all she could think to do.

Her chest ached like a day old bruise and the lump in her throat made it hard for her to breathe as she kissed Arthur.

He pulled her closer to him, deepening their kiss and pushing the chair back from the desk so they had more room.

Cassie simply clung to him and tired to tell him without words, everything she needed to. She climbed off his lap, slowly, breaking their kiss only when she had his hand in hers and was pulling him up with her.

She tugged him over to the bed and pulled him back into her so hard they both fell back on it. She let out a laugh as did he, though hers bordered on hysteria and he noticed.

"Cassie, what's wrong?" he asked, propping himself up on his elbows over her, his eyes boring into hers and compelling her to tell the truth.

"What are you talking about?" she asked rather unconvincingly. Her eyes danced around near nis face but never met his own.

"Tell me" he commanded, seeing right through her lie.

She sighed and finally looked at him. She wanted their last night to be a happy one, the anger and confusion and sadness of the truth could wait till the sun came up. "I love you, and there is nothing more I want than to be with you" she said, trying to keep the 'but' out of her tone. "I just wanted you to know that" she smiled, pushing the thoughts of her imminent departure out of her head and simply focusing on him.

Arthur smiled as well "I love you too" he leaned down and kissed her again, and the two got lost in each other.

Hours later it was completely dark outside and Cassie lay cuddled against Arthur, her head resting on his ribs and her long hair splayed out across his chest.

"You know, now that all this has died down, I wanted to show you this place tomorrow" he started, running her fingers absently up and down her arm.

She bit her lip "As long as I don't have to ride a horse" she joked.

He laughed and she felt the vibrations in his chest as he did. After a few moments of silence he spoke again "Sing me that lullaby in your language" he asked.

Cassie turned to look up at him "How bout I sing you something else" she offered, knowing that one song in particular would make her cry.

He smiled "It's alright with me. I just want to hear your voice."

She adjusted herself so she could sing and thought a minute, trying to call to memory the song she'd written part of while in Camelot. "Your fingertips across my skin, fall trees playing in the wind, images" she began and Arthur closed his eyes, a small smile across his face.

"I sang you Spanish lullabies, the sweetest sadness in my eyes, clever trick" she continued, feeling awful that she'd be leaving him and he wouldn't even know. "Well I'd never wanna see you unhappy, and I know you want the same for me. So goodbye my almost lover, so long my hopeless dream, I'm trying not to think about it, but it can't just let me be."

At this point she was seriously regretting choosing this song, the one she'd written about her inevitable leaving and just how much she'd miss him.

She finished the song with a lump in her throat and looked back at her Prince. He was asleep, snoring softly and she smiled. Curling back up to him and closing her own eyes, savoring the moment.

That had been hours ago and now she sat on a makeshift beach, watching color begin to stain the sky through the trees.

She gripped her guitar tighter, remembering Alex's warning about leaving as soon as the sun came up. Tensing up, she just sat there, glaring at the sky, daring it to take her away.

And then it did, the second the rays of sunrise hit the water of the pool, the water began to tremble. Ripples spread out from the center growing in speed and size until they hit the edge, the stronger ones lapping up onto the sand.

Then the water began to split, moving to each side, forming a path in it right in front of her. Cassie stood quickly, watching in awe as the water split entirely in half, leaving a shallow path for her to walk to the end where it formed an arc, a waterfall falling from the top, through which she could see nothing.

Instinctually, and because she'd seen a lot of supernatural movies, she knew she had to walk down the little path and through the waterfall.

And so, taking her guitar tighter in her hand, squaring her shoulders and flexing her toes in her combat boots she did just that. She stepped through the waterfall and found herself back where she belonged.

**XXX**

Merlin awoke early, the sun had barely come up and the air was still thick with mist. He wasn't sure why he was up so soon and he grumbled incoherently to himself and rolled over.

He heard something crinkle under his shoulder and opened his eyes to see the edge of a folded piece of paper sticking off the edge of his bed.

Sitting up, he picked up the paper that was folded like a letter. It had his name on the outside, scrawled in messy slanted writing with a few added ink blotches that looked like someone had gotten a little frustrated with the quill.

Opening it, he saw a page full of the same messy writing, the signature at the bottom reading: _Cassie_.

He looked back to the top and began reading, an uneasy feeling growing in his stomach.

_Merlin,_

_I hate to just leave you a letter, but I can't stand saying goodbye. Call me a coward, but I'm bad at goodbyes. At least I left you something though, something to tell you how much it has meant to me to have a friend here who is as good a friend as you are. You kept my secret from the moment you met me and I kept yours as long as possible. It means the world to me that you would go through all that trouble to protect a girl you barely know. But you did and that speaks so much for your character. Thank you for everything, saving my ass all those times with your magic, being so supportive of me, even on my grumpy days. Thank you for always telling me how much you love my music, I get it from my mom and dad and Ryan all the time, but to hear it from someone who simply likes my music, it's fantastic. Thank you for your faith in me and mostly thank you for being my friend, the only one in this strange place that knew everything. _

_You will be great one day. You know there's even an expression in my time "Merlin's beard!" after you. Someone would say it when they're surprised. So if you've ever considered a beard, don't do it. Mess with the history books a little, why not. It's an annoying expression anyway. You are such a good person and beside Arthur when he is King, you will help him rule justly and unite Albion. You have it in you, I know cause I've seen it. You live it. Take care of Gaius for me, even if he thinks he doesn't need it. Don't change, ever. Never become jaded and cynical like so many do. You are good, stay that way. _

_I hate to ask you anything, but there are a few things I would ask you to do for me. Sorry. Would you please never tell anyone that you knew about me ahead of time? I feel like if Arthur found out he would only feel betrayed, the way he did about your magic. And I get the feeling he'll be rather snappy for a while (sorry about that), so better not give him anything more to be annoyed about. And please stick with him. Stick with Camelot, for me, if nothing else. I wish I could tell you to forget me and have it work, but I know I can't. And I am so sorry for any pain I will have caused you. But I will miss you even more than you will miss me and know that if you're thinking of me, I will be thinking of you as well. _

_With all my love,_

_Cassie_

He re-read the letter multiple times, trying to wrap his head around the fact that she was gone. It was hard, he had become so used to seeing her or hearing her around the castle all the time, and to think that she had simply vanished like mist in the sun was almost inconceivable.

"GAIUS!" he shouted after a few moments of silent numbness.

"What?" the old physician opened the door to Merlin's little room an annoyed expression on his face.

"Cassie's gone" the younger man snapped without prelude. Gaius didn't look surprised and Merlin's suspicions were confirmed. "Why didn't you stop her!" he cried, jumping out of bed and sending his mess of blankets to the floor.

Gaius sighed "Because she had to go, Merlin. She didn't belong in this world and she understood that. There's no use tempting fate, she simply had to leave" he said, his voice soothing and calm and his logic concrete.

Merlin scowled, hating to admit that his mentor was right, "She could have said goodbye" he muttered quietly.

The old man came up the three stairs and sat on the bed next to the young one, who after a moment of stubbornness, sat as well. "Cassie should have said goodbye, but she couldn't. And we will both have to accept that we will miss her."

Merlin sighed and nodded. And he would miss her. He'd miss her quirky ways and expressions, he'd miss how she was the only one who could ever put Arthur in his place, he'd miss being able to talk to her about anything and everything. They once had an hour long conversation where she tried to explain to him what something called a microwave was and then trying to find a spell that replicated one.

He smiled at the memory then frowned again, realizing that memories were all he'd ever have. Gaius got up to leave him with his thoughts and a few minutes later, Merlin got up and began getting ready for his day.

Just because Cassie was gone didn't mean that life wouldn't go on. He finished dressing in a haze as memories floated through his head. He ate his porridge mechanically as he wondered how she had gotten home and he walked down the almost deserted corridors on his way to Arthur's chambers, while wondering where she was now.

He had just reached the Prince's doors when he heard an angry shout from within and the loud bang of something being kicked over.

He winced, it was probably the desk. Something he would have to pick up later once Arthur finished his tantrum. Merlin tiptoed back around the corner and up the stairs. He figured it would be better to leave his friend alone for a little while, and not become a potential target for flying chairs, swords and anything else the prince could get his hands on.

**XXX**

Arthur woke up to the sun hitting his face through the window. He had rolled towards it in his sleep and the angle of it seemed just off today, since the sun never awoke him.

He rolled over, expecting to find Cassie's small from next to him and found nothing. Just the blankets neatly tucked in around him and no sign that she had been there.

Frowning he sat up, looking around the room. Nothing was out of place and he guessed she just wanted to get back to her own chambers before the servants started gossiping. He relaxed slightly and leaned back on his hands, letting out a tired sigh.

It was then that he noticed the folded paper sitting on the table. His brow furrowed and he got up, pulling on a shirt as he did so and walked over to the table that sat in the front part of his rooms.

Atop the dark wood lay a letter with his name written on the front in messy script. It was folded three times without a seal and looked to have been scrawled in a great haste as there were drips of ink splattered across the front.

He opened it and let his eyes slid down to the end where the signature read: _Cassie_. Then he began to read.

_Dear Arthur,_

_That sounds like far too formal a start for a letter to someone I know so well, but "my dearest Arthur" sound's too sappy. I am sorry that all I left you was a letter, but I'm terrible at goodbyes and I hate confrontation. _

_There were very few things I told you that were the truth. It's something that I am not proud of, but I lied to you a lot. However, the most important truth I ever told you was that I love you. I do and I will and you must never forget that. _

_I could explain my lies, explain that I am not a Princess and that I'm not even from Puerto Rico or this century and that I sing on a stage in front of people every night for a living, but it is so complicated. I lied about who I was so I would be alright her until I could find a way to go home. But by the time I found one, I didn't want to leave. I didn't have a choice, I don't belong in Camelot, I belong in my time and in my world. _

_You will be a great King one day. The most famous King Camelot has ever had. You will become a legend for your life and the way you led your people. I know because more than a thousand years later, they're still talking about you. And if you ever see a sword in a stone, pull it out. Don't question, just do it. _

_I have faith in you Arthur, even if you don't have faith in yourself. You changed my life and I hope that I haven't ruined yours. Remember your promise to Michael, you will accept magic, and your promise to me, that you won't tell anyone about Merlin. Be nice to him, he works hard for you. And please remember I love you. Remember our happy times and please don't hate me. I am so sorry for everything and I sincerely hope your life can just return to the way it was. _

_I cannot say that I'm sorry enough, nor can I tell you just how much I love you. You are destined for great things and I hope you achieve them. _

_Love,_

_Cassie_

He stared down at the letter dumbly, his brain not accepting what was written in front of him. He read it over twice more before the fact that she was gone finally sank in.

She couldn't just be gone, where had she gone _to_? Her letter said she wasn't from Puerto Rico, so where was she going home to? All that nonsense about being from another time was ridiculous, maybe she'd gone crazy and ran off, or hit her head and forgot who she was.

Arthur let out a strangled yell and threw the letter across the room. It didn't make it very far, fluttering to the floor a few feet away from him.

His anger not appeased, he kicked over the nearest chair, bruising his bare foot, but too upset to care.

He wasn't sure if he was furious or miserable or some pathetic combination of the two. He shoved over another chair, this time with his hands and swiped an arm across the table, sending its contents, his armor and a candlestick, clattering to the floor.

Maybe she had been kidnapped. Maybe the criminal wrote the note to throw them off the trail. Or maybe she just wanted out, she couldn't stand being in Camelot where something bad happened every other week and she just wanted to go home. Maybe her country had won their war and she could go return to rule it.

The tornado that was Arthur continued through the chambers, tearing the curtains down from around his bed and ripping the pillow's in half. He got to the desk, stubbed his toe on it and in a fit of rage shoved the desk over, sending its contents sprawling across the room and breaking the chair behind it.

He wasn't sure what had happened to the girl he loved or even how he felt about it, but he was positive of one thing. He needed to find her.

So, still barefoot and in his pajamas, he stormed out of the room and down the corridor to find his father.

**XXX**

King Uther was sitting serenely in his throne room, preparing himself mentally to meet with his people that day. Anyone from Camelot with complaints and problems and an inside man, would come to him once a month to plead their cases and ask for his help.

It was always a trying day and Uther was doing his best to calm himself before it began. He had just closed his eyes and taken another deep breath when the doors to the throne room slammed open.

The king opened his eyes to see his son striding towards him, barefoot and in his night clothes, his hair messy and tousled and a terrible affliction in his face.

"What happened?" Uther asked, standing up and taking a few steps down from the dais towards his son.

"Cassie is gone" Arthur snapped, stopping just in front of his father, close enough for the older man to see the war between pain and fury that was waging itself in his eyes.

"What do you mean, she's gone?" he asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"I mean" the prince said "That she has disappeared from the castle, send out search parties, put her out on the wanted criminals list, I don't care, just bring her back" he growled.

Uther's jaw dropped, no one had ever spoken to him that way, least of all his son. But the look in the boys eyes told him that this was ordinary circumstance.

"Guard!" the king called and one of the men outside the door scurried in, casting a wary look at the prince. "Go inform the knights that Lady Cassandra is missing, send out search parties and make sure she is found" he instructed firmly. The man nodded and ran off.

Arthur sighed and dropped into the chair Morgana usually sat in. He suddenly looked years older and all the King could do was pray they found Cassie to bring her back where she belonged.

**XXX**

Song:

Almost Lover –A Fine Frenzy


	28. Chapter 28: Worth Being Found

**A/N: **I meant to finish this before spring break, but I just couldn't, look how long it is! And then I took two weeks off to tour Italy with my family. So, yeah this is late. BUT I worked really hard on it and it's the end. There will be an epilogue, just because this was already too long. Enjoy!

**XXX**

Cassie wandered down the hill in the cemetery in a daze. The sun had made it all the way up since she'd been there and it was high time she'd gotten back home.

She had no idea how she'd managed to fall asleep against Alex's headstone and her head felt a little fuzzy and confused. One minute she'd been playing a song for Alex and the next she'd woken up, probably twenty minutes later, lying against the headstone, her neck sore from seeping on it.

The beep her car made as she unlocked it echoed eerily through the early morning and Cassie jumped at the sound. It was as if she hadn't heard the sound in ages, when in fact she'd heard it an hour ago when she got up to get visit Alex.

She knew her family would come later that day, Ryan and his family too, as was their tradition on the anniversary of Alex's death. Then they would go out to dinner and eat lots of good food at a family friend's restaurant.

But she felt tired, beyond tired, as if she'd run instead of slept. It was probably just tour catching up with her, they had only gotten off it the night before, she was in need of some good relaxation time after that.

Getting in her car, she but her guitar in the seat next to her and tossed her bag over as well. She pulled the driver's door closed and moved to start the car. It was then that she noticed the hole wearing itself into the toe of her combat boot.

They were brand new! She'd only gotten them before the start of tour and hadn't worn them that often! Even this morning they'd been fine, all shiny and sturdy. Now they were scuffed and worn.

How could she have not noticed they were ruined this morning? She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Her lack of sleep and the fact that it was Alex's day were throwing her off.

Writing it off easily, she turned on the car and began to drive. She felt like a zombie, all she wanted to do was sleep. Sleep or cry.

She frowned. Now where had that come from? The sudden sadness that overtook her and made it feel like someone was squeezing her chest in a vice grip.

This was too strange. Yes she was sad, it had been only two years since Alex had died, but this pain wasn't for Alex. And it felt new and raw, like a burn the first day, it always hurts the worst.

When she got home, her mother was awake at the stove, flipping pancakes for Esperanza, Isabella and Maria, Ryan's adorable little sisters, all three of whom were bouncing in their seats at the table while Cassie's father, John, read the newspaper.

"_Buenos dias_" Rosa Hayes said with a tired smile as Cassie walked in. She pulled a stack of plates over and put a pancake on each, putting four plates in front of the four people at the table.

"_Muchas gracias tia Rosa_" Esperanza, the oldest at nine, remembered to say. Her sisters followed suit through mouthfuls of pancakes and even in her strange mood, Cassie smiled.

It felt like it had been so long since she'd seen her family and she missed them. She propped her guitar against the wall, dumped her back next to it and sat in the chair next to her father at the large kitchen table.

"Hi daddy" she said with a smile, leaning over to see which section of the paper he was reading. Another article about the economic crisis.

"Hello Cassie" her father said, turning to look at her over the rims of his glasses with a sad smile. He was a very large man, six foot and huge, the fact that he taught at a college and wore glasses surprised a lot of people.

"We are going to the cemetery after breakfast, so make yourself look nice" Rosa announced from the stove as she plated a pancake for Cassie who suddenly didn't feel hungry.

"You eat that one _mami_" she said standing up, "I went this morning for a while. I might stay home today, I feel a little off"

Rosa and John looked at her with concerned expressions and finally John nodded "Go ahead honey, take whatever time you need."

She smiled at them both, kissed Ryan's sisters on the tops of their heads and grabbed her stuff before heading upstairs.

She promptly locked herself in her room and yanked a half filled notebook down from one of the shelves. Song lyrics and chords were pounding through her head like a headache and she needed to get them down before they drove her insane.

She wrote down a full song, lyrics, chord progression and everything, without even having to stop and check it on the guitar.

Cassie would have checked it, but the music kept coming in her head. She wrote and wrote, not once stopping to pick up her guitar.

Two hours later she had about ten songs down, she hadn't touched a guitar, but she had eight songs and a few little pieces of others.

They told a story, of someone lost and confused, of a rebel and of someone in love. Then how that love was inevitably lost.

Something about the story tugged at the edges of her memory and she felt that same inexplicable sadness wash over her.

Shaking her head to rid herself of these strange feelings, she picked up her guitar and played. She played every song straight through. By the time she was done she was crying. The songs themselves weren't all that sad, some of them would even be fast paced happy songs when the whole band played. It was the emotion she attached to the songs that had her crying as if her entire life had just been torn away from her. Little did she know it had.

She suddenly felt exhausted and put her guitar in its usual spot against the wall. Then she climbed back into her bed that was still unmade from that morning and slept.

And while she slept she dreamed.

A dark haired boy ran towards her across a yard, a large castle behind him. He shouted her name and he looked worried. Words poured out of his mouth like water but they all blurred together in her head. Someone was hurt and it was someone she cared about.

He took her hand and tugged her towards the castle. They seemed to run forever, the castle seeming farther and farther away with each step they took.

And then she stumbled and fell, but instead of crashing into the hard earth, she fell into cushiony sand. Sitting up, she found herself on a beach, sitting in front of the waves. It wasn't a beach she was familiar with, not from her childhood at least, but she felt that she had been there before.

Someone sat own next to her in the dream and she looked up to see a blonde man, who made her heart tear in two. He looked so miserable and she reached out to him. She loved this man, the kind of ridiculous, laughable, insane, all-consuming love that made her head hurt just to think about it.

The man said something to her but it was muted and abstract, as if her ears were clogged by water. He pulled Cassie into his arms and she was torn between happiness to be there and a terrible sadness that she knew she was dreaming.

The ocean melted away and she found herself in a cave with a brook running through it. There was another man there, but this man she only barely recognized, he was old and stopped and telling her he was going to send her home.

Cassie ran away from him, further down into the cave, but his creaking voice rang after her, telling her she must return home, trying to send her, trying to wake her.

"Cass, wake up" something shook her and the dream became less fluid. "Come on princess, you don't get to sleep all day, the rest of us were on tour too" Ryan's voice permeated her sleep and she slowly opened her eyes to see him sitting on the edge of her bed.

He looked tired, more so than she felt. There were huge bags under his dark eyes and his normally warm smile was down a few degrees.

Feeling like she hadn't seen him in months, Cassie sat up and hugged him. He stiffened, surprised for a minute before hugging her back. "You okay?" he whispered, concerned as always for her.

Alex's death two years ago had hit them all hard, but none harder than his twin sister. The girl he knew everything about and who knew everything about him.

But she put on a smile and shrugged "Just out of it I guess, how long was I asleep for?" she asked.

Ryan looked at the clock on her bedside table "About three hours, we were about to go out for dinner, the girls babysitter just showed up so I was send to fetch you" he teased.

She rolled her eyes "Of course, I'm not allowed to miss family dinner" she pushed back the covers and climbed out of bed, walking over to her closet to try to find something to wear.

He turned around and looked the other way as she changed as more of a courtesy than anything. After living on a bus with him and the other boys for a few months, they'd all seen each other changing more than a few times.

"What are these?" he asked, picking up the papers strewn across the floor near her guitar. The papers that held the words and chords to the songs that had poured out of her heart the minute she'd gotten home.

"Just some songs" Cassie replied as she pulled on a pair of black pants.

Ryan began to leaf through them, reading the words to himself and imagining the music, "Where did all these come from? You were working on different stuff on tour" he asked.

"I just kinda wrote them. When I came back this morning I just had them all in my head" she said, pulling a clean shirt on.

"They're good" he commented, looking at one song "No kid, not tonight, you're not that good, no you're not my type" he read aloud, a small smile on his face.

She sat down next to him and smiled at the memory of a laugh the song brought, though she couldn't remember why it made her laugh. "I was thinking this could be the new record" she told him.

He looked at her in surprise. He had thought she was going to use some of the songs they'd worked on with the whole band during tour. "Why?" he asked, knowing from experience it was better to let Cassie explain her ideas than automatically start firing off questions about them.

"Because they just came to me Ry, they tell a story and I relate so much with the story that it almost breaks my heart. You can see in these last two, one of them is so happy but it's got that looming something over it, as if she knows her happiness is about to be shattered and there's nothing she can do to stop it so she'll just hold on for the ride and enjoy it while she can. And then the last one, that one about coming home? It's just about wanting to fight for that happiness but not being able to, because its not fair to anyone she cares about."

She began pulling other pages out of his hands, telling him their parts of the story and by the time she hit the last one, he was sold. "Well, it looks like this will be our next record" he grinned.

Cassie smiled, suddenly exhausted. Music could still make her excited, she guessed, but when it was all said and done that same draining sadness took over again.

But she got up with Ryan and went to dinner with their families and talked about tour and the record and their scattered memories of Alex.

**XXX**

Three weeks later Cassie sat in the recording studio watching Ryan record drums to one of the last songs on the album.

She would lay down vocals as soon as he was done and then do the piano piece and the record would be done.

"This is gonna be epic Cass" Ben, their pretty-boy guitarist sat down next to her and threw an arm around her shoulders. She shrugged, she didn't have the energy to push him off like she usually would.

All the boys in her band were becoming more and more worried about her. At first it was just Ryan and the other three figured that he was just being the overprotective big brother he was to her. But as she started becoming quieter and thinner, the bags underneath her eyes becoming darker and more pronounced, they'd all began to worry just as much as Ryan.

For her part, Cassie thought she was doing okay. The feeling of loss was still eating at her, tearing a huge hole in her stomach, but she was functioning, she got up every morning, managed to smile at her mother, help Ryan's sisters with their homework and come and record with her band every day.

But her sleep was still plagued with painful, bitter-sweet memories. They kept her up crying, longing for more sleep so she could re-enter them.

She wasn't eating either. It took her too much effort to even get down a yogurt or a piece of toast, so she lived off sugar free cough drops and coffee.

Ryan came out of the studio and took one look at her before scowling "Cassie, come outside with me, we need to talk" he said.

She raised her eyebrows, a spark of her former attitude making itself present. But Ryan had known her for too long to let her sarcasm get to him. He walked right out, knowing she cared about him enough to follow.

The alley behind the recording studio was dark on the cloudy day and he could only see the shadows on her thin face as Cassie stepped out, closing the door behind her.

"What do you want?" she asked, crossing her arms and leaning all her weight into one hip, a gesture of impatience.

"Tell me what's been bothering you" Ryan commanded. He put his hands on his hips in a stance that meant business.

Cassie sighed and dragged her hands over her face and then through her hair. She leaned against the wall of the alley, "I don't know. I can't stop being miserable all the time. It's as if the most important thing in my world has been wrenched away from me. But nothing's changed, I haven't lost anything I hadn't already lost"

Her words barely made sense but Ryan knew something was wrong that went far beyond her control. "Then why don't we do something fun" he suggested, wanting to cheer her up, "Take the rest of the day off and go paintballing, or karaokeing."

That brought a small smile to her face. He knew she loved paintball because she was the smallest and hardest to hit, and all the times she and the guys had gone to karaoke bars waiting for the day their songs would be sung there by people just as out of it and drunk as they were. That day hadn't come yet, but it was something to work for, to look forward to.

"Sure" she said.

**XXX**

It was another three weeks before Cassie remembered everything. Her dreams had become nightmares, the sweet memories that had torn at her heart were replaced by images of horrifying creatures and terrible people, all out to kill the beautiful blonde man she loved.

She forced herself to eat, trying to be better after Ryan's little talk with her and her band's constant attempts to cheer her up. She was healthier and the hole in her heart had begun to heal over, now more of a scar than a raw opening.

Things were better than they had been, but as her nightmares continued to plague her, Cassie realized something had to be done.

The sign for the psychic shop was painted a vibrant purple that was comically at odds with the shadowy dirty windows and the eerie shrunken skulls inside. If not for the sign, she would have turned around right there and then.

This was New York, it was full of fakes and con artists trying to be creative as possible to make money. Cassie was a born and bred New Yorker and she should have known better.

But she was desperate and for now this looked like the best option.

Entering the store, a little bell chimed, the way it did in convenience stores and the sound made her feel more at ease with all the voodoo paraphernalia

"Cassandra?" a voice asked from the shadows in the darkest corner of the room. Cassie jumped, turning towards the sound and almost laughing at the cliché of it as she saw a middle aged woman in a turban, sitting in one of the arms chairs in the corner.

"Yup that's me" she said, hiking the strap of her messenger bag higher up on her shoulder.

The woman stood up and walked into a brighter part of her shop. She was skinny to the point that her ribs stuck out from under her dress and her cheekbones stretched the skin of her waxy face. An air of unhealthiness surrounded her and Cassie took an involuntary step back.

The woman smiled revealing yellow but oddly straight teeth. "You can tell that I am dying" she said, her voice as dramatic as her yellow, orange and magenta turban. The old hag definitely wasn't dying but she sure as hell looked like it.

"I'm here cause I need help remembering something" Cassie said tentatively.

"You need to remember why you're so sad, don't you?" the woman asked with a sympathetic smile, making her look almost human. Almost. Surprised, Cassie opened her mouth to ask how she knew but the woman turned around.

She led her towards the back of the shop, behind a star covered curtain and into an even darker room. The only light was from seven or eight small candles spaced evenly around the tiny circular room.

In the center of the circle was a table with a crystal ball on it and two chairs. Cassie resisted the urge to roll her eyes despite the woman's insight from a few seconds ago.

"Sit" the old lady commanded and Cassie did so, slightly confused as she woman took the crystal ball and placed it on the floor.

Noting her furrowed brows the old woman gave her a crooked grin, "It's only for show" she said before sitting in the chair across the table from Cassie.

She held out her hands and the younger girl hesitated for a minute before placing her dark hands in the woman's pale ones.

"Close your eyes" the woman instructed and against her better judgment she listened. What was the worst that could happen?

As soon as her eyes shut, the black behind them was replaced by images, almost like a movie in fast forward. Images of a place that was unfamiliar but home at the same time. A castle, a room, two rooms. A pale beautiful woman, a skinny blue eyed boy, the blonde man who had been haunting her dreams and ripping her heart in two. And with the images came the memories.

And with the memories came the joy, the fear, the adrenaline and the pain.

Cassie wrenched her hands out of the old woman's and stood up, stumbling back and knocking over the chair she had been sitting in.

She remembered everything, from when she fell through the hole at Alex's grave to her leaving through the crescent moon pool and every moment in between.

Tears sprang to her eyes and the old woman looked up at her in half sympathy half awe. Rising from her chair and pulling her turban off to let down a long white braid, she gave Cassie a sad smile. "You are a special young woman Cassandra Hayes" she said.

Cassie began to shaker he head and back away towards the curtain, fumbling for the edge in the dark to open it and run back to the safety of her car. Where no one would spring something so impossibly, massively devastating on her.

The old woman seemed to understand, "Go ahead, this session was free of charge" she reached over next to her on the navy blue painted wall and flicked on a light switch.

The room flooded with bright florescent light and in the stark light of a completely average room, the memories seemed even more impossible.

But she knew they had happened and as she rushed out of the woman's little shop and back down the street to where she had parked her SUV she went over all of them in her head. Though a lot about it that confused her, one thing was painfully clear; that she wished beyond a shadow of a doubt that she could go back and stay there forever. And that scared her.

**XXX**

A month later the new Lights In Bold album was out and doing well among their fan base. They weren't a hugely popular band, mostly playing in smaller venues and last summer opening for a bigger punk band on their tour. But they all hoped with this new album they would make some headway towards the dream of going big.

Even Cassie found herself excited about the album. She was learning to accept the loss she had suffered, the loss of Camelot and Morgana and Merlin and especially Arthur. The love of her life.

Even though they were supposed to be celebrating the release of their album, Cassie was working on new music.

She'd had to fight the studio and their producer to keep all the songs on the record in the exact order she'd specified. It told a story, she'd explained, but at first she'd had trouble articulating that story or why it was so important. After her trip to the psychic, she was able to talk the producer into keeping it.

And mere weeks after the album came out, she had about two albums worth of new songs.

"When I wake up, the dream isn't done. I wanna see your face and know I've made it home. If nothing is true what more can I do? I am still painting flowers for you" she sang while strumming her guitar out in her backyard.

She frowned, she didn't know why were all the terrible emotions from her return to her life still coming out in her music. On her first album most of the songs had been dedicated to Alex, but by the time it was out, her music had started to include other parts of her life. And that's how it should have been with leaving Camelot.

But it wasn't.

_It sucks huh?_

The voice spoke in her head only, not aloud and she froze up, clenching the neck of her guitar so tightly that she was surprised one of the strings didn't snap.

_What, I can only talk to you when you're a couple centuries in the past not in the present?_

The voice was Alex's of course and it made her miss everything all the more. Camelot had provided her with a connection to her brother as well as good friends and the love of her life.

"You surprised me that's all" she muttered.

_I scared you sis, admit it. But I have news for you. _

"What?" she asked too eagerly. She knew she shouldn't get her hopes up but she couldn't help it.

_You can go back_

She could go back. Those simple words floored her. She wanted to jump and shout and cry and sing all at once. "How?"

_You will have to choose, this world or that one. You can't have both. _

And the other shoe dropped. She wanted desperately to go back, to run as fast as she could and even faster back to the place she now thought of as home. But she couldn't. She had a family here, her parents couldn't lose another child. And her band needed her, their career was just taking off and without her Lights In Bold didn't exist.

"How am I supposed to choose?" she asked Alex. But his voice was silent, leaving her to make this decision on her own. The way it had to be.

**XXX**

Cassie spent the next week a nervous wreck. She couldn't make a decision. She could be selfish and be happy or be selfless and be miserable.

She knew deep down what she had to do, but she kept letting herself hope she could go back. And that hope was buoying her.

"Hey Cass?" Ryan called from the front door.

"It's open, come on in!" she shouted back from her spot in front of the TV, catching up on the episodes of The Vampire Diaries she had missed the last few weeks.

Ryan came in and wrinkled his nose at her guilty pleasure show. "That stuff is such crap" he said, glaring at the good looking vampire boy on the screen, declaring his undying love for the main character.

"Yes it is, that's why I watch it" his best friend shot back at him. They had gone back to normal, Cassie had started eating again and sleeping more and it seemed like things were settling down again.

He plopped down next to her and that was when she noticed the book in his hand. "What's that?" she pointed at it with the remote.

Ryan dragged his gaze away from the TV screen and she had to hold back a grin. "Oh, I found your book with some of my stuff. The one you were reading on tour that your dad gave you. Interesting stuff" he handed it back to her.

Cassie laughed "You only found it now and we've been home for how long?" she teased.

Ryan rolled his eyes and turned back to the TV and together they indulged in some good old trashy paranormal love triangles.

That's how John Hayes found them an hour later, in the middle of a heated argument over which gorgeous vampire brother the main character should choose.

"But she makes him a better person!" Cassie pointed out.

"He's a dick, she should choose the other guy, with the cool hair" Ryan shot back, pushing his own curly black hair up to imitate the actor.

"Well I'm glad to see you two are getting along" John said with a smile "And discussing such serious topics."

Ryan looked embarrassed and Cassie laughed. Life was as it had been.

**XXX**

Later that night after having a barbeque outside and spending some quality time with her little family Cassie decided to sit out on her porch in the late fall air and read.

She opened the book Ryan had returned earlier to the book marked page. It was a book full of myths and legends from all over Europe that her dad had given her before tour because he knew she liked that kind of thing.

When she saw what chapter she was on her breath caught in her throat.

_The Celtic Legend of King Arthur_

_According to stories passed down through the United Kingdom for years, King Arthur lived in the fifth or sixth century AD. The story of his ascension to the crown is a famous one, and though it may not be true, it warrants an explanation._

_When Camelot was left without a king after the former King's death, the Warlock Merlin declared that whoever could pull the sword Excalibur from the stone in which it was interred, would be king. Many men tried to wrench the sword form the stone and failed. For a time, Camelot was without a ruler. Then for some reason or another (one theory is that Arthur, a young page boy was sent to find a sword for someone, however this was only detailed in the account of the French writer __Chrétien de Troyes__) he simply pulled the sword from the stone. _

_That part of the legend is detailed in the initial account of Geoffrey of Monmouth, along with some ambiguous accounts of Arthur's wife. These accounts were initially discounted and the more commonly known version of events involving Queen Guinevere and Sir Lancelot, also detailed by __Chrétien de Troyes__. _

_However, upon further investigation into Geoffrey of Monmouth's accounts, the story is much different. Arthur did not marry Guinevere, though there is evidence of her relationship with Sir Lancelot. The King apparently had a different Queen. Little is known about the Lady Cassandra, only that she came from a far away land across a massive sea. There is no record of her prior to her arrival in Camelot, leading many historians to believe she was not true nobility. Most likely she was a sailors daughter from one of the seaside kingdoms, only people who lived by the ocean would be able to lie that they lived across a "massive sea" because no one at the time knew just how massive the Atlantic was. _

_However what we do know of Lady Cassandra is that she was instrumental in the battle at Camlann, where de Troyes' account says King Arthur died. We also know she was rather popular among the people because Geoffrey of Monmouth's account of her is nothing but praise. _

_Whichever account is correct we do know that both Guinevere and Cassandra were part of the legend, and made significant contributions to Camelot. _

The book went on to detail specific parts of the legend, battles, and people, some names familiar to her and some completely foreign.

But Cassie couldn't read them. She couldn't get past the part that said she was supposed to have been Queen of Camelot. And there was no doubt that it was her. The book even quoted the same lie she had told everyone in Camelot.

Had she been able to think clearly, she would have been slightly offended that the cook called her a liar.

And then it hit her. She had to go back. During her time in Camelot she hadn't been instrumental in any battles. And Camlann sounded completely unfamiliar to her.

She had to go back. Arthur would die in that battle if it wasn't for her! And then the annoying French guy the book talked about would be right.

She jumped up, running inside and up the stairs to her room. There she changed into a clean t-shirt and jeans and tugged her combat boots over her feet. She then grabbed her messenger bag, threw in a few things she'd need along with a family photo taken before Alex's death. Then she grabbed her guitar and ran back outside.

By the time she pulled up to the cemetery, she was having doubts. What about her family? What about her band? She couldn't leave them. They needed her.

But according to history, Camelot got her, so without another thought she climbed out of the car and marched up the hill to Alex's gravestone.

"Take me back" she said to it, standing just in front of it, bag across her shoulder, guitar in hand.

Nothing happened of course and Cassie groaned loudly into the night. "Take me back damn it! I made my choice and I want to go back to Camelot!"

The ground opened up beneath her and then suddenly she was falling, and she hit the ground with a hard thump.

Groaning, she sat up and pushed her unscathed guitar out of her lap. Her head hurt, probably from its impact with the ground, and she knew she was going to have a huge bruise on her rear end tomorrow.

She didn't care. She looked up and saw the castle and for a few euphoric seconds, she was thrilled. Then the doubt settled in.

When she had left it had been early spring, now the leaves were scattered across the ground, the trees bare and it was much colder.

Time had passed at home as time had passed in Camelot. But she feared it had been much longer in Camelot. She feared Merlin and Morgana and Gwen had all forgotten about her, or that Uther would deny her re-entrance to Camelot. Or the worst fear of all that was building in her gut, that Arthur would have moved on.

Cassie took a deep breath, well there was only one way to find out.

**XXX**

Arthur stared out the window, leaning his head on his fist as his father dealt with some court issue and everyone else in the room pretended to listen.

The emissary from the northern plains continued to babble on to Uther about the droughts and Arthur let his mind wander.

It had been almost two years since the love of his life had disappeared and they still had search parties out looking for any sign of her.

He hadn't allowed them to stop looking for her and he wouldn't give up any time soon. He had no idea why she had gone, but that letter she left hadn't been enough to leave him with.

He had become moody and angry all the time, depressed and sleep deprived. Things had improved after time but he still wouldn't let her go.

Shaking his head to rid his thoughts of her, he turned his attention back to the man from the plains. "We will try to send extra supplies to the people on the plains to make up for the drought" Uther placated the man.

He smiled "Thank you, your highness. My people and I owe you our gratitude" he said sinking into a bow and turning to leave so the next complaint could come in.

Arthur smiled, he appreciated how fair his father was to his people and only hoped when he was king, he would be just as good a king.

The door opened again and someone walked in, stopping as everyone gasped. Arthur wasn't paying attention though, he was staring out the window again.

"Well, it's good to see you all still remember me" a familiar voice said from the doorway.

Arthur didn't need Merlin's shout of "Cassie!" to know who it was. He turned to look at her, standing there, her weight on one leg, her hands on her hips in a position anyone who knew her was very familiar with.

But she looked different, her hair was a bit shorter, as if she had cut it. And she was thinner, like she hadn't been eating right. And most of all she looked tired.

Standing he started down the steps from the dais, her eyes locked onto him and he saw in them the tears and the fear that he wouldn't have missed her as much as she missed him.

He walked towards her quickly and when he reached her, didn't hesitate before wrapping his arms around her waist and picking her up, to hold her to him as tightly as possible.

She flung her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder "God, I fucking missed you" she whispered.

"Oh, you have no idea" he whispered back and then he kissed her.

**XXX**

Song: Painting Flowers-All Time Low

Thank you all so much for reading, favoriting and reviewing my story. It was a very long road to write it, and I'm sorry for those several month long breaks I took. I've never finished a story this long EVER in my life so this is a really nice first for me. I am going to write the Narnia fic, I really like my idea for it SO ALL OF YOU READ IT WHEN I GET IT UP! But thank you all, like a million times. Much love!

Xoxox- Holly


	29. Epilogue

**A/N: Before you all read my super short epilogue, I want you all to know how honored I am to have had your support and reviews and reads all throughout the story. This fic is my baby, it is more than two hundred pages on word and more than one hundred thousand words. Thank you all so much for reading, reviewing, favoriting and putting up with all my crazy and my excuses. I hope you enjoyed the fic and will continue to enjoy my work in the future. **

**XXX**

_Three months later_

When sunlight flooded through the window in the morning, Cassie sighed in contentment. She had settled back into Camelot rather well and her life was perfect.

She did miss her family and her band, but she had a family here.

"Rise and shine!" Merlin burst through the doors without knocking as always and then turned bright red, seeing Cassie.

She laughed and rolled her eyes as she sat up, he should have been used to finding her in Arthur's room by now.

The blonde who's bed it was, stirred next to her but didn't wake up. "Come on princess" she poked him and teased. He grunted and swatted her hand and she laughed again.

At the sound of her laugh, Arthur rolled over, throwing an arm over his eyes to block out the sun streaming through the open window.

"I'm just gonna leave this here" Merlin said holding up the tray of breakfast he'd brought then setting it on the table.

He backed out of the room quietly while Cassie proceeded to tickle Arthur awake. The sounds of their laughter following him down the hallway.

Wandering upstairs back to Gaius's room he thought about everything that had happened in the past few months.

The torturous time when Cassie was missing or gone home or whatever, when they all missed her and Arthur was so moody that his bad mood infected everyone, the King included. Then when she returned it was like light had come back, like a long awaited spring after a particularly brutal winter.

Things had steadily improved when Cassie was around. Her laugh could be heard throughout the castle if you stopped to listen hard enough and the way she spoke for the people made her a favorite among them.

Merlin held back a chuckle as he thought of Arthur's official proposal to her. She had turned him down, in front of everyone too. The entire room had been shocked, even after she explained.

"No" she'd said, "I am nineteen years old. Where I come from, I'm not even supposed to have alcohol. I refuse to marry anyone, even the love of my life, until I'm at least twenty two."

The entire banquet had erupted in scandalized whispers and Arthur's horrified expression had only made the fake princess laugh more.

He had been angry with her for a few days but Cassie's perpetual good mood and optimistic outlook eventually held out longer than the Prince's annoyance.

Then there had been the trouble with something Cassie claimed looked like a Teridactyl, whatever that was. But after a week or so of conspicuous attacks on outlying villages, during which the huge winged reptile stole sheep, cows and even once several chickens, they had to do something about it.

So using, or really it was more of an abuse of his powers Merlin thought, they took down the flying creature. And Cassie continued to insist it was a dinosaur.

Then there was Linda. Morgana had taken a liking to the red-head and insisted she stay around as her lady in waiting. It meant he saw a lot more of her.

Over all, Merlin was happy with the way things had turned out. He had his best friend, even if Arthur wouldn't call him that, his crazy friend from the future and a girl he very much liked all with him. It was the happiest he'd been in a long time.

"Whatcha up to?" Cassie asked, sitting on the arm of Arthur's chair and leaning over his shoulder to observe the map he was looking over.

"Crop patterns" the prince said, his boredom evident in his tone.

"How fascinating" the brunette next to him teased.

He smiled, "You're more interesting" he said, finally turning to her. Before she could scoff at his compliment he kissed her, pulling her into his lap and wrapping his arms around her.

When they broke apart he looked at her hard, "I need to ask you something" he said quietly.

"Yes?" she whispered back.

"What happened, all those months ago? Where did you go and why did you come back?"

Cassie sighed and buried her face in his shoulder. That was one question she didn't want to answer. It was hard enough convincing them all she was back to stay and that she hadn't meant to hurt them in leaving.

"Cass" he said and she could feel the words vibrate through his throat, "I love you, I always will, but I need to know what happened. Who are you?"

She wanted to cry, it killed her to think about all she had left behind. She was happy with her choice but afraid the questions would follow her forever. Sighing, she looked up, "I'm not going to give you details, because I don't even understand the details" she told him.

Arthur nodded, he was willing to accept whatever of the truth she could give him.

"I went home when I left. I'm not quite sure how I got there, but I did. I saw my family, my mom and dad, and Ryan and the girls and my Tio Antonio. I saw my band, Ben, Jon, Tom and I missed them. I'd been gone for months, but they took me right back and I was home again" she stopped, taking a deep breath in and letting it out, pushing all the bad emotion out with it.

"Then I missed it here. I missed Camelot, I missed the adventures, I missed Merlin and Morgana and Gwen and even Uther and Gaius. But I missed you almost more than I could stand" his arms tightened around her and she leaned into him.

"In the end I had to make a choice, here or there. I chose."

Arthur pressed a kiss into her hair and sat in silence, contemplating what she had just told him. finally, after a long moment, he answered her "I'm glad you chose here."

THE END

**XXX**

**A/N: Please review with all the things you liked/disliked, the things that bothered you, favorite chapters, favorite moments, where I could have fixed the characterization of one character or another, what I can do in the future to improve. This is a learning experience for me so anything you can tell me is helpful. I hope you guys liked it! 3 Holly.**


	30. I'M BACK

**First off, HAPPY NEW YEAR! **

**Well, I obviously took some time off, but I'm back!**

**In the time since I finished Loose Ends For All Things, I moved, spent my last summer with friends and went to college! First semester was rough and soccer season is in the fall, so I've been SUPER busy. **

**However, I did find time to write and got a couple things out. **

**And now that I'm home on winter break I'm going to put up two, possibly three stories. The Narnia story you all expected will be up as will an Avengers piece I started. **

**That and I'm debating a sequel to Loose Ends? I have some really cool ideas for it already, so let me know what you guys think? **


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